As this years pre-election rituals start to get heated up I wish to remind people to not get caught up in all the emotional hype surrounding the candidates. Typically, there is a lot of mudslinging and banter being tossed around in order to make one candidate look worse than another. This is a typical human trait - make the other guy look bad so you can look good. I just don't buy into that. In fact there are more than a few people I know who think this is just crazy and ridiculous. I agree. The welfare of the nation is at stake. Track record counts for something, but I try to steer clear of those candidates who rub me the wrong way - I certainly won't vote for any available candidate if I don't agree with them. In those cases where no one fits the bill, I vote for myself.
I am writing about this today because I think it is important for those of us participating in the voting process to keep a steady head about us - utilize that Social Studies mind! Any reported information about the candidates should be run through our mental filter first before we engage them with more of our time. The media has always been a tool for elections in this country, and since much of the media already has bias (leaning towards one direction or another) we should take that into account when gathering information. Gather from multiple sources and not just the convenient ones. Next, understand that most of these candidates are career politicians. That means they are in it for themselves, promising what they must to the public in order to get elected. Since no better options are available we must exercise our right to vote by choosing with our conscience. If you want to vote for yourself go ahead! It is your right. If you want to vote for a candidate, do your research.
Here are the six stages of the filter - run any information through it:
1. Find out who they are.
2. Where have they held office?
3. What did they do there? (records are public, so look them up!)
4. Who is looking out for the best interest of the country? (this one is tricky because it is a subjective view - use your own to guide you)
5. Which media outlets support/destroy the reputation of the candidate? (this is a good indicator of who is willing to spend time and money devaluing another person - I like to steer away from that type of information since it cannot be reliable)
6. What do you think? (trust your own ideas and opinions)
Once all of the information goes through your filter, then you can gain a better mind for whom you wish to vote for. Someone may stand out, or no one may be left standing. You vote for whom you want, but it is always a good idea to run them through your filter.
Good voting!
