Health care, jobs, war, education and taxes. Apparently, these issues are of no importance to this nation. How can most people say the war is going badly, but still support President Bush in Iraq? Half as many people think the economy is in good shape than did before Bush was elected, but they still voted for him again. This just doesn't make any sense.

Thousands of people have lost their jobs on Bush's watch, millions of Americans can't afford health care, there are students entering high school who can't add and subtract single-digit numbers and people have to work two and three jobs to feed their families while others are making billions and flying around on their private jets. But these are not the issues people are voting on.

There is no such thing as separation of church and state in this country. It is pathetic that the American people chose their president based on their religious convictions and issues such as abortion and homosexual marriage, while disregarding the issues that matter in government. It is appalling that voters walked away from the polls saying, "Gay marriage and abortion decided my vote." Yes, these are important issues, but they are not the issues that should be deciding the fate of an entire nation.

These issues and the policies regarding them are making it impossible for there to be any separation of church and state, one of the basic principles on which this nation was founded. People come to America so they can find better jobs and pursue religious freedom, but we are taking jobs away from Americans and shipping them overseas and imposing our religious beliefs on everyone.

Don't get me wrong, it's all well and good that people want to save the lives of innocent babies. I'm as opposed to abortion as the next pro-lifer, but do you want to bring these children into the world, then tell them their parents can't have jobs, they and their families can't have health care and they can't receive a decent education? There's been a pro-life president for the past four years, and abortion is still legal. Why is this the deciding issue?

Furthermore, it is sickening that people are saying it doesn't matter that people are losing their jobs and children are suffering without proper health care and a decent education, as long as those gays can't get married. That, of course, is the all-important issue. It does not matter if you agree with homosexuality or not, but denying rights and giving unequal treatment based on those beliefs is discrimination in its purest form.

If this is what it means to be an American, count me out, I want no part of it. To those of you who say America is the greatest democracy in the world, I say, NO! America is not a democracy. It is a republic, and it's about time that changed. I think we all need to take some time to think long and hard about what it really means to be an American. You can decide for yourself if that is something you want to be. I know I don't.

Mihalik is a junior math and education major.

Click here to comment on this viewpoint on the Tribune Forum.