Written by Orna Rawls
When a group of friends met on ZOOM recently, Jane, a successful used car salesperson shared her financial woes. Google, she said, caused her income to go down significantly. “People get their information ahead of time.” She lamented.
“They know all the facts about the cars before they even see them.” The lady’s decreased income notwithstanding, most of us would like to know all the facts about a car, a house, a health insurance plan we’re buying, a school system we send our kids to. And, we hope, all relevant information about candidates we are voting for in local, state and national elections.
We’ll be wise to consider how the candidates’ education and work experience prepare them for the position they run for. Will they serve their constituents’ interests or do they have other agenda? Do they share our family values, ethics, morality? Have they demonstrated good team work, uniting leadership, sound problems solving, stable emotions?
At the same small gathering, an enthusiastic neighbor proudly declared he didn’t need to think twice. “I always vote for members of my party, of course.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know more about the individuals,? “ his friends asked. “No, I wouldn’t. I’ve always been loyal to my party.” He answered emphatically. “And please don’t confuse me with the facts.”
“It’s a case of misplaced loyalty.” someone said. “Should your loyalty to your town, your state, your country come first? Should you be an informed voter?”
We all have a choice now. Our voting decisions can be based on emotions or on rational and factual information. Facts or feeling? Which one will you prefer?
