Today's subject, chosen from the book of "300 Writing Prompts" is, "What one issue is most important to you when voting for political candidates?"
I choose this topic today simply because I think it is a mistake to be a single-issue voter. The trouble is, that is the mindset of a large number of voters -- they have one or two "hot-button" issues that drive their decision.
No one is perfect -- except me of course (just kidding) -- which means that no candidate will have the correct position on all issues. No two people are alike which means that no candidate will have the exact same position to which a specific voter could agree on all issues.
Upon further reflection, there might be one issue that would be at the top of my list; it would be that "he who governs least, governs best." Strict adherence to this position would put me firmly in the Libertarian camp. I probably lean that way, but there are too many areas where I believe we need regulations, or programs that provide either constraint on certain activities, or assistance to overcome barriers. Both should be very limited in nature, allowing the free market and natural selection to take its course.
An example of constraints to which I agree are basic laws such as those prohibiting murder. When the actions of an individual directly harm others, there must be constraint. The "Nanny State" attitude of many extends this to almost every activity of life. I personally think it should be limited to a brief set of laws similar to the Ten Commandments which seem to cover it adequately.
An example of assistance would be protection. This should be limited to those activities necessary to "provide for the common defense" or to protect the rights of the individual. The greatest embodiment of this is in the Electoral College system which prevents a majority from diminishing the rights of the individual or, the minority. Those advocating pure democracy are actually advocating for mob rule. Our system of government is designed to prevent such from occurring.
When people focus on single issues, divisiveness is the result. We break into groups, or "camps" and point fingers and call names like a bunch of school children. That's pretty much what has happened in Washington these days. Labels are put on things and become entrenched in the positions. The most recent example is a "wall" on our southern border. "The Wall" has come to stand for much more than a physical barrier, it has become a mantra, much like "Remember the Alamo" was for Sam Houston's army. It symbolizes the hatred for one man that is driving a lot of strange behavior.
It is sometimes difficult to step away from "personalities" and to evaluate things on their merits. It happens all the time in many aspects of life. We sometimes find ourselves opposing something merely because of who proposed it rather than our agreement, or disagreement with the proposal. It may even be something for which we previously advocated. In Washington it is seen as "flip-flopping" on a position. There seems to be a lot of that going on right now.
I think it is time to clear the playground and send everyone back to class. The studies need to be focused on government (The Constitution), economics (how could anyone think Socialism will work given its history?) and ethics (lying, stealing, cheating and civility). In the words of the youth of today, "smh." (For all you older folks like me that means, "shaking my head.")
[For those not familiar with J.R.R.Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the title is a play on the phrase, "One ring to lead them all, one ring to bind them."]
No comments:
Post a Comment