Please be a Citizen and Vote
On November 3, United States citizens have the opportunity to influence our future. Not just for the next two years, but possibly for generations.
First, I ask you to vote. Ignore, please, the internal voices that say, My vote doesn’t matter. If it matters to no one else, it matters to you and your future. If you are a citizen, you can’t afford not to care, whatever your preferences are. Even if you disagree with everything this page says, I’m asking your to vote.
Second, I recently heard a quote (here) that went like this: Governments collapse when they become corrupt and incompetent. I hadn’t heard this before. But I can’t think of a better guide that to vote for the least corrupt (notice I said least) and most competent candidate. I realize that media makes it hard to know who isn’t corrupt and who is competent. I could point to modern examples of corruption and incompetence from both from both parties. At the very least a leadership position requires experience (not being a podcaster) and education (a serious degree in the field of expertise). Start there.
Third, if you need more guidelines to consider, here are some others. Some will point toward faith beliefs, but believe me when I say I’m not a Christian Nationalist. You could be an atheist, and I think we could happily agree on these qualities for leaders. Real leaders appoint:
- People who listen, care, and learn
- People who seek peace (whenever possible and not recklessly)
- People who show tangible results, admit when they’ve made mistakes, and speak without duplicity (I wanted to use the word taradiddle because it sounds dirty but isn’t)
- People who weigh the greater good of all people, not just their locality
- People who build a better world for all people, regardless of wealth, religious belief, sexual orientation, mental or physical health, or any other origin story
- People who treat the reduction of damage to our planet’s health as a fundamental and emergent necessity for the security of all people
- People who hold that health is a commitment to all. Not all can be cured; all should receive care.
- People who recognize that education is as much a commitment to security as is any dollar in a defense budget.
- People who aren’t cynics.
That’s my starter list. I’m not a bleeding heart liberal. I am someone who is seeing the failed promises of trickle-down economics and the worship of technology, wealth, and fame.