On May 9, we go to the polls. Have you made your choice for the next president of this country? I have. But it took a while. You see, I’m not the kind of person who will have whatever you’re having if we’re dining together. I’m the kind of person who will take the time to peruse the menu and order what I actually want.
Did you read up on your candidate’s past performance as a public servant? What kind of professional history does your candidate have? What kind of life does your candidate lead? Or did you skip the vetting process because you’re “solid?”
I’m not a “solid” voter. I don’t go with trends, tradition, friendship or party affiliation. My choice doesn’t stem from culture, fanatical behavior or groupthink. Rather, it stems from the fire of my questioning, reasoning and vetting.
It’s the most important position in the nation we are trying to fill. We can’t afford not to think.
Don’t believe everything you see on your social media feeds. Cyberspace is crammed with fiction manufactured daily by political troll farms. Spliced videos making candidates look like bumbling idiots abound. Don’t fall for disinformation.
Social media, swimming in fake news, is not the best source of information. You need to double check the credibility of your sources—every time and then go by these guidelines.
Hedge your bets on a track record of good governance rather than on the promises of grandiose governance. Vote for transformational rather than transactional leadership. Vote for public service not partisan politics.
Vote for those who stand for the unvarnished and unspliced truth. Those who have run their campaigns on deception and disinformation will continue to lie, cheat and scam. Vote for moral courage in the face of persecution. Vote for principles over political survival.
Do not listen to the paid voices of trolls on cyberspace. Do not be swayed by the voices of people who stand to gain politically from their endorsements. Listen to the voices of those who have nothing to gain by their endorsement of a candidate except the gift of a better future for this country.
Leaders can be lauded and looked up to but they are not to be worshipped like gods who can do no wrong. After election into office, we should continue to be able to see through the faults and failings of those to whom we have given our vote, trust and favor.
I am not a “solid” voter. I am not propelled by any kind of blind loyalty to a family, political party or ideology. I have made my choice from a place of discernment not from a place of dogma. And my choice is Leni to lead this country.
Life is short. Choose well. Before you shade, look God in the face. Be grateful to be part of this moment in history. If you truly love this country, you will vote wisely.