There is a lot going on in our world today. There is a lot going on in our own country and most of it makes me anxious. As a child, most tend to go along with the opinions of their parents. As a teenager, you just believe the opposite of your parent's opinion. But as an adult, we should be able to think for ourselves, shouldn't we? That is no easy task. Watch a clip from a news show, read a headline on Facebook, talk with a friend while out to dinner...how do we go about knowing what we really believe when there are opinions posted everywhere we look?
If you ask me what my favorite color is, I will probably tell you three different answers. If you ask my thoughts on politics, I'll talk myself into circles and struggle to come up with a conclusion. I often find myself in the middle of opinions and unsure where to turn. And I, I believe, am like 90% of our country. We hear the voices and read the words of the 10%, those who are passionate and have strong convictions one way or another. And it seems to me that a lot of people are listening to them and just going with what they hear and read. The problem is, I'm not sure that's okay. Are we really thinking for ourselves? Are we really taking the time to decide what we believe and what we think is right? I'll be the first to admit, I haven't been the best at this.
Until now. I'm worried about what's going on this year. I don't like what I've seen and I don't know how I'm going to decide who to vote for. Again, I think those other 90% are like me, while the other 10% are passionately voting for their candidate(s). We need these passionate people, of course we do, but we also need the rest of us to step up. Especially now. And I don't think just going out and voting is enough. We (myself included) need to form an opinion. We can't shy away from the issues and we can't pretend this will all work itself out. This is not a reality show, this is real life.
My issue with forming an opinion is - how do we know the truth? The news, newspapers, online articles - it's hard to tell these days. So I'm going to go with two main sources. First, a person's track record. Sure, people can change and form new opinions, but their past says a lot. And second, I am going to listen to these candidates. I want to hear what they have to say, straight from their mouths. Of course they can lie (or bend the truth) and they will more than likely talk around the issues (except one particular candidate), but I'd rather hear things directly from the source than through another's perception.
I am a smart, educated person and I have the ability to form my own opinion. We all do. We've just become too lazy to do so. It's easier to believe a meme on Facebook or a celebrity's endorsement. But I am challenging myself to do the work and decide for myself what I think is best for our country. I hope you will do the same.
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