I’m in the second week of political conventions and if I didn’t have common sense, I’d be scared to death. My father often said if sense were common, everybody would have it; after listening and watching the past eight days, he was right.
From what I can see and hear from the speakers, whichever way we go, we are up the creek with no water, paddle, or life jacket. With the Biden/Harris ticket or the Trump/Pence ticket, all our dreams will come true or they will all turn into nightmares. I suspect the truth is out here in the middle struggling to be free, and we, as an electorate, are left to sort through the demonizing/ hopeful language and decide which road to take.
What I know more clearly than ever before is that we had better do some thorough investigation of our own if we want to make a wise choice on November 3. Between the Democrats blaming everything COVID-19 on the Republicans and President Trump’s alleged slow response and callous inaction, to the Republicans blaming the Democrats for taking away our guns, defunding the police, opening the borders all willy nilly, collapsing our budding economy, and taxing us to death, it’s hard to recognize our realities.
There ought to be a law – truth in advertising or something– that says campaigns can’t lie to make themselves look better to gain advantage, however, enforcing it wouldn’t be nearly as exciting as making up the facts to fit the scenario.
Maybe I’m expecting too much. I am much more interested in what candidates can do, not what the other folks didn’t, won’t, or can’t do, and presidential candidates seem to forget that they can’t just go to our nation’s epicenter, snap their fingers, and things happen. Many big dreams, fantastic ideas, and meaningful promises meet up with the 535 other folks who are entrenched there, and coupled with their different ideas, dreams, and promises, well, the vicious political cycle becomes a partisan quagmire.
For the millionth time, we, as an electorate deserve better than too many promises, lies, propaganda, weekly polls and more polls touting who’s ahead and who’s not, officials who don’t enforce their own rules, and commentators who forget objectivity.
There are no perfect candidates. Even if we were looking for one, there are none to be had. Even Jesus couldn’t get elected in 2020. His father has more money than Bill Gates and Jeffrey Zuckerberg combined but Jesus doesn’t own an earth-friendly vehicle, he borrows donkeys and doesn’t return them, doesn’t have an iPhone, and rumor has it that he’s raising dead men to get additional votes.
Seriously, as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on and the November 3 election looms, not reporting or under reporting the numbers, impact, and status of equipment and personnel for political reasons is dangerous. People I know and care about have come down with this virus and not enforcing social distancing and wearing masks in large gatherings just makes no sense—common or otherwise.
Overpromising quick cures and rushing to market with partially tested vaccines is not helpful. The situation is changing daily, and we must be able to trust and rely on the experts who work for us to diagnose, report, treat, and prevent this scourge from further crippling our lives. I didn’t need a convention to tell me that.
P.S. Women have had the vote for 100 years and they advocated for it long before that. I pray we use their spirit of cooperation, determination, and perseverance to make ours count.
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