I'm exhausted and depressed with political negativity. We should be a nation of gratitude celebrating its people and resources. Negativity produces fear (votes), but no solutions. I struggle to understand how some of the good people who taught me the crucial value of truth and honesty have abandoned that principle when electing leaders. Granted, politicians do tend to bend a straight line, but lying — no. Vance has voiced that it's OK to lie as a tactic to get media attention — fear voting is just a side benefit. Consequences of that behavior can be dangerous and devastating. Trump constantly uses this tactic — his COVID rhetoric, his climate change "hoax" speak, and his most recent hurricane Helene/FEMA comments. Not helpful, yet very harmful.
I'm stressed to see that climate change is but a blip in the political dialogue. "Drill, baby, drill" isn't a sustainable solution. We are now witnessing the effects of past obstructions to addressing climate change. Though we'll suffer the consequences for years to come, we still have the chance now to elect leaders that will make the hard and necessary decisions for our kids' future. Our planet was designed to save itself, not humans.
People are also reading…
Democracy — again, I wonder how good people haven't seen evidence of its unraveling. Trump continues his journey to autocracy. He's missed two official deadlines to sign presidential transition, ethics and fundraising disclosure contracts. This allows him to avoid having to limit or disclose private contributions or follow ethics rules, including disclosing conflicts of interest, and precludes him from national security briefings. A foreshadowing of his future plan.
Truth and honesty are necessary elements of a successful democracy. That applies to electing both president and Congress (legislative solutions to issues). Don't engage the lies, our quality of life depends on it!
Dale Minter, Lincoln