Stay Informed

How many of us can proudly say we can cut through misinformation and disinformation, personal bias or prejudice?

As we enter the last month of a new election year, I’m wondering how many voters are truly informed. How many voters actually delve into the politics and issues put forth by the candidates. At first glance, some may sound good, but what are the calamitous consequences of their proposed policies, if enacted.  Have you studied history and educated yourself about the problems some of the policies that they have put forth have wrought?

Some folks feel that it’s become a popularity contest.  They may not like a certain candidates personality, and therefore disregard his/her Policies. While this may seem foolish, Too many surveys have proven This likely. To illustrate,  while President Joe Biden was still in the running, I heard someone remark that they would vote for him. “even if he was in a casket”, rather than vote for the opposition, no matter how good their policies were.

Have the candidates put forth their policies with clarity— and can we trust them to be sincere? The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.  We have a clear view there— Kamala Harris has been vice president of our country for nigh on four years and Donald Trump was a former president four years ago.  What were their individual accomplishments?. We have a good perspective from which to form our opinion based on the records of each.  Neither one is new. Have you checked out their records and the policies they espoused?

Don’t listen to what the candidate say.  Look at what they do and have done.  Try to ignore the propaganda and surface level baloney that prevents us from forming educated opinions.  Are they just selling a lot of sizzle?  Where’s the steak?

Some candidates reverse, in words only, The ideology they have built their entire political career on, in order to appeal to a wider audience.  I have heard this strategy referred to as pragmatic. Is this a new way of describing deceit?

Are we on the precipice of losing our freedom?  It happens slowly and people who are not informed get used to losing freedoms, little by little, and even vote for it.  It has become more difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.  The media doesn’t help, and politicians employ Hollywood coaches to enhance their performances with both scripted words and empty emotional phrases and mannerisms.

But choose we must, in this perilous time, when we are not even sure who is running the country.

I am not a Republican or a Democrat.  I am an American. I hope we can preserve our culture and make it even better. We are not Australia, Germany, France, or the UK.  The United States of America is a Republic. Not purely a democratic government. The individual has been granted unalienable rights under our constitution.  How precious— Our freedom.

The challenges are enormous. Will you vote this election with knowledge and information?