To the Editor:
In America, it is a right, a privilege and a responsibility to vote. It is up to the individual voter to educate themselves regarding all issues and policies, and to educate themselves regarding the candidates running to represent them. It pertains to all voters – Independent, Democrat, Republican – and regardless of religious affiliation.
This is of the utmost importance, especially in a presidential election. We tend to be single-issue voters with different beliefs and moral values. We have so much to weigh and understand, none of which have anything to do with popularity.
In order to educate ourselves we rely on the press, the people and organizations that gather and report news, and their journalistic integrity and responsibility to viewership. It is important to gather information from a variety of sources – to read, to listen, to discuss, to question, and especially to fact-check. Ignoring, blocking, denying and following information without due diligence is blind faith. Democracy and maintaining the balance of power under our Constitution demands our due diligence before voting.
Beware of the differences in content on network broadcasts, cable programming, and social media. The FCC monitors the major broadcast networks because the airwaves are free and public. Cable channels rely on subscribers, viewers, and advertisers, and lack effective regulations. Cable programming runs through private providers and increasingly offers opinion panels and commentary in lieu of reporting.
Opinions can shape narratives but cannot change facts. Without FCC regulations, there is no accountability for or verification of content. Cable programming can air political rhetoric, lies, bias, vulgarity, profanity, conspiracy theories, hoaxes, and distortions like defending a false statement with “alternative facts.”
The First Amendment protects political speech, so in political ads the “truth in advertising” does not apply. It is enlightening to fact-check their content.
Listen to the candidates’ words and watch what unfolds in a live debate, rally, interview, podcast, State of the Union, press conference, etc. Form your own opinions before listening to the political pundits. When you do this, you realize that personality and character do matter and have impact. Emotional Intelligence – the ability to understand, use, and manage your emotions in a healthy way – is one of the most important personality traits of leadership. Words and actions have impact, and they do matter. What a leader says and does has impact. Words and actions determine whether impact is negative or positive, constructive or destructive.
After weighing issues, and endless hours of reading, listening, discussing and fact-checking, I know the single most important issue for this presidential election. I saw in real time with my own eyes what happened on January 6th. I heard in real time with my own ears the sounds of January 6th. I witnessed the fear, horror, destruction and loss of life at the United States Capitol, the symbol of democracy and the American people, and it cannot be forgotten.
Our rights under the supreme law of the Constitution of the United States, and the peaceful transfer of power are what make America great. I cherish the right, privilege and responsibility to vote for our president every four years. Is it fair to say that with the national principles of our Constitution and the strength of our representative democracy, you’d be hard-pressed to declare yourself an American and vote Republican in this election?
