This election is different from any other in this country’s 240-year history. The debate has been blurred by an overwhelming infusion of data and 24/7 news cycles. Both candidates have drawbacks more pronounced than at any time in our Presidential history. We have more access to information than at any time in history. We believe it is time to take a look and see how you are processing the information that comes to you via social media, print and various online news sources.
The avalanche of talking heads and opinions can be overwhelming, but as Socrates declared, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Making an educated vote may be as important as voting An uneducated voter can spell disaster for any election. Ideally all people should know what they are doing when entering the voting booth, but that is not always the case.
Don’t take the liberty of assuming you know everything that needs to been known. Take up the role of an investigator. Grill you potential leaders. Scrutinize their every word. Follow publications, both locally and citywide. Find out as much as you can.
Reach out to a local library; check out what civic groups are doing to bring candidates before their constituents.
Seeing beyond the two-party label to evaluate each candidate is a key measure that so many forget, especially in communities like Queens where one party seems to dominate so effortlessly.
Here are a few sites to get you started: www.lwvnyc.org, www.vote411.org, www.factcheck.org,