This election year you can make your vote count and educate your children at the same time.
When it is election time to cast your vote in the upcoming election why not make the most of the opportunity by including your children in the process. In 2008 I stopped following politics closely because the news was just so full of candidates fingerpointing about how bad their opponent was and at the drop of a hat could riddle off a list of complaints a mile long. The negative news was so depressing I stopped listening. But I do make the best of my vote in any election by researching the candidates and the propositions on the ballot. By teaming up with my wife we can streamline the process and vote for candidates that align with our values.
It was found that over 100 million people in the United States did not vote in 2016 and it was due to their lack of knowledge about the candidates or lack of faith in the voting process. https://the100million.org/
How can we change that? How can we educate our young people on the importance of their right to vote and the impact it can have on how our country, state and local governments are run.
I believe it starts with the parents. I believe if parents spent some time with their kids learning how the democratic process works and including them in the process when they are voting by mail or going to the polls it could have a greater impact on more adults viewing voting as a privilege rather than a corrupted system. Our new media does not help. the major new media outlets like CNN, Fox News, and CNBC all focus on one side or the other rather than giving an accurate report from both sides they would rather bring an opposing person on their program and then berate them when they disagree with their point of view. It is no wonder people don’t want to express their political opinion publicly.
I experienced this first-hand last month when my wife posted an article on Facebook regarding the oath senate and congress took when they were sworn into the office and the comments got downright nasty. In my conversation with family members and friends when I asked if they knew what their candidate stood for, read hi or her biography their reply was ” I just stick to my party and follow the news and vote for who I like best”. Then I also asked them how do you know who you like best if you don’t see what they stand for? How do you know they are going to do a good job?
The other issue I found through conversation with my family and friends is that they seem to think that it is the president alone that will determine the outcome of our country to which at that point I ask them to look at the process in the simplest terms. How Laws are Made.
If we can help educate those 100 million people who decided not to vote and give them tools to understand how to make every vote count it can make a difference in the future of our country.
Please vote in the 2020 election if you are not confident in choosing the right candidate you can always look at their voting record and determine if they are someone who has your best interest in mind or they just what to make a lucrative career out of their time in office.
Please leave a comment on your experience and conversations with your family and friends.
