Know the Issues Before You Vote

As we continue to countdown the days towards the election here on Marco Island, so does the remainder of the nation. Americans have either already voted by mail, are preparing to go to early voting or will vote on November 8. I’ve often stated that this is one, if not the most important responsibility that we have as American citizens. As part of that responsibility to vote, it is our obligation to do so in a responsible manner.

As part of that responsibility we must take the time to study the issues as well as candidates in a serious manner. The outcome of any election may determine the fate of our fellow citizens and our futures for many years to come. Your decisions may result in sending young men and women off to fight on foreign shores, as well as the expenditures of vast amounts of our nation’s valuable resources as a result of the casting of our ballots, and therefore must be taken seriously.

State and local issues also require the careful consideration by voters as they ponder the importance of those issues and candidates on the ballot, and how they may affect the outcome of those matters and the outcome of other important questions before the citizens.

Equally as important are the votes we cast regarding candidates for town/city leaders, county commissioners, school board candidates and state leaders. The same goes for those we send to fill congressional seats. Equally important are the ballots we cast for those issues such as referendum items, as we recently did here locally last month.

As we study these issues, we should also take a close look at where the monies are coming from to affect our vote and sway our opinions on issues, as well as those who will benefit politically and financially. Yes, the old phrase, “follow the money,” still has merit and must be viewed with skepticism.

We should also take the time to start reading some of these hundreds of pounds of literature being stuffed in our mailboxes to decipher the truthfulness of their claims. Who is showing up to get the t-shirt and the photo op to claim how much they care about issues such as the environment, or the claims some are making regarding the work they do for local non-profits.

I personally find jumping on the coattails of those groups and then fading away once the prize is within their grasp is less than honorable and would definitely affect my choices.

As citizens it is our responsibility to ensure candidates “earn” our votes and not just “buy” them from fancy ads or the volumes of words splattered over the many hundreds of leaflets we’ve seen stuffed into our mailboxes during the last two weeks before an election. 

The many misleading and outright disgusting social media posts across some of these new digital sites have risen to a level of McCarthyism in our nation and have filtered down to even the local level. I am not sure anyone can find any value in their continued existence and hope they will disappear as quickly as they appeared and hope the general public ceases to support advertisers who support these tactics.

Have we become more committed to burning down the house because we are dedicated to victory at any cost as we battle over the divide in the politics of today? I really can’t believe how far afield we have drifted in this last half-a-century here in the United States. The polarization in how we govern at all levels within government is frightening and continues to degrade as time continues. We are also seeing it extend into state, county and local levels of governing, and that too may not bode well as time progresses. 

I consistently have folks ask me who is the best candidate to vote for in this upcoming election, and when they do, I almost consistently ask them to do the research, don’t take the shortcut by asking someone else for their opinion, for you and I may in fact differ on what would be good moving forward.

A gentleman I have the highest regard for asked me that very question a couple of weekends ago and was somewhat offended when I told him he needed to do his own homework on the candidates, for I didn’t want to lose his friendship, and for each person it is a personal decision, sort of like the World Series…. Go Phillies.