One person’s dream is another person’s nightmare

We, the people of the United States, number over 328 million. That’s a lot of people to try to please. We have different backgrounds and experiences, different perspectives, different views of the world. We see the world as or from where we are. We have distinct viewpoints that we endeavor to support with provable facts: We simply differ with the facts that are important to us; with the outcomes we wish to see. Thus, we vote for those who purport to desire the same outcomes.

And that is your right as a citizen of the United States of America: You have the right to vote for those persons who you feel will institute policies that you perceive will most benefit you. Alas, try as you might, you cannot make someone with opposing views care about what you care about. Just as you cannot make someone see a goldfinch visible to you in a tree but hidden behind leaves from where they stand, you cannot make someone of divergent experience understand your perspective if they do not make the effort to stand where you stand and see the view from there. It takes effort. But if you do not make an effort to see the world through someone else’s eyes, why should they? And so, I try to see things from many sides – especially since rarely are all or even most of one’s interests met by simply following a party. Politics is not a team sport.

How do I vote?

I do not believe in the righteousness of any one side. I do the research on the candidates. I don’t depend on the 2nd, 3rd or 100th -hand version of information – especially not on social media. All politicians cast their opponents in an adversarial light, focusing on true or perceived differences. I look to the published, objective record of their actions: How did they vote? What policies or laws did they actively support? What bills have they sponsored? What legislation did they help pass? Do their votes indicate they’ve been bought by one or multiple of the myriad lobbyists whose deep pockets silence the diverse voices of the electorate? (Two good sources for information are Congress.gov and Federalregister.gov.) If they are rookie politicians: To what have they dedicated their lives so far? Do they support charities? Do they do volunteer work? Have they successfully run a business? How are they regarded in their field? By their peers? Their employees? What do they claim they want to achieve in public office?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their power from the consent of the governed.” (From the Declaration of Independence)

Why do I vote?

I vote with the hope that it will help ensure we keep having the right to demand our consent.