The elections are upon us. What are your priorities?
Soon all American citizens will have the opportunity to take to the voting booths to cast a ballot. There will be races all over the United States decided. The winners will bask in the glory of their victory while the losers will analyze their campaign and begin strategizing their next move. This election cycle is being touted as a consensus for what the people want. Much like the talking points spewed by those running, it’s all a bunch of hype.
How many promises can a politician make and break before they get their feet held to the fire? It would seem anything can be promised during the campaign, but there is no consequence when those promises are forgotten. There is an excuse. That would be the elected official was planning on keeping their word, but couldn’t get the support of the rest of the elected body. Which leads me to my next point.
Lawmaking and regulating is a drawn out process that can take years to see results. Sure, there are bills that pass quickly, but these are usually relating to a knee-jerk solution to a problem that never existed to gain support from a special interest group and create a block of votes. When it comes to important issues it can take years to accomplish anything through the legislative process.
Some examples. During the Clinton presidency “assault weapons” were banned in a knee-jerk reaction to some shootings. Recently, on a state level, California is planning to ban bear and cougar hunting with dogs, a reaction to a vocal animal rights minority. Yet, there are no programs in place for the eradication of Asian carp, which is a problem the feds have known about for years.
Cries constantly ring out during elections that this politician, if elected, is going to take away your guns. Not likely, but there is always the possibility of stringent regulations on not only the firearms, but the ammunition. This is more likely on a state level than national, but the anti-gunners have been placing a lot more emphasis on getting state legislators to pass laws that will restrict shooting sports by taxing ammunition and making it tougher to acquire it. Even if you’re not an avid shooter or appreciate the modern sporting rifles, any regulations regarding guns or ammunition of any kind will adversely affect anyone that possesses a gun, even if they just use it for hunting.
My point is that we cannot post a vote based on the hyperbole of ads that trash a candidate. We cannot mark a ballot for someone based on their looks, their gender, or their personality. We must vote on the issues that we find important which means you must do your research before you take to the voting booth. What are your priorities? Find out how a candidate supports those and that is how you should direct your support. An informed voter is one who does their homework. Make your vote count.Edit Module