Are You Ignorant?

Midterms are only a few days away. How will you vote? Have you vetted the candidates? Have you examined both sides of the issues? Is it your duty to be aware and vote your considered opinion? Do you really care? Unfortunately, the answers to these questions are, for the most part, vague, weak, and pitiful.

I’ve spent some time campaigning. I’ve gone house to house. I’ve stood on train platforms. I’ve been at rallies. I’ve planted political signs. I’ve written pieces. I’ve pissed people off by questioning their opinions. In all these years there is one observed fact that blots out all others: the American voting public is ignorant. Whenever I approach the voter, at their homes, on train platforms, at rallies, the first question I ask them is, “How do you form your political opinions? How do you know how to vote/”.  Typically, in a rather defensive posture, they say that they watch the six o’clock news, they listen to CNN, they listen to NPR on the way to and from work, they read the New York Times. Sometimes they ignore the questions and dismiss me for questioning their political acumen. If I retain their attention, I ask if they read any political journals, if they listen to politically oriented shows on TV. The answers in typically “No”.

So, in my opinion. what is the greatest threat to America -  right now, today? I’ll give you some clues: racism, white supremacy, inequity, liberalism, conservatism, capitalism, socialism, global warming, social injustice, Critical Race Theory, collapsing economy, secularism, Christianity, guns, education, poverty, the border, divisiveness? If you pick any one of these, or any collection thereof, you would be wrong. The greatest threat to America is ignorance.

Ignorance is not an evil in itself. If you don’t know anything about the Pythagorean Theorem, Fourier Series or Quantum Mechanics you are not a bad or stupid person. You just didn’t have the opportunity, the inclination, or the time to learn about them. You are not alone. You are like most people. These topics, like so many others, have no direct bearing on your life, happiness or well-being. But there is a range of topics that do have a direct influence on your life, your happiness, your well-being and the direction of your country. They are mentioned above. They all contribute to your happiness, your awareness, your view of life in this country and your vote as a citizen. But if you don’t know about the various sides of these topics, about the truth of their pronouncements and the short and long term effects on your country – you are ignorant and therein lies the threat.

Thomas Jefferson wrote “If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed." Remaining free is vital if we are to follow and perfect the dictates and promise of the Declaration. How do we remain free in this Democratic Republic? It is by an informed vote. It is by examining the issues. It is by listening to both sides of the issues. It is by discussion with opposing sides. It is by a combination of an emotional and informed logical approach to the issues. Unfortunately, too many of our electorate are ignorant on these issues and certainly would be called out by Jefferson. It is so easy to say “I’m not political. All politicians are BS artists. My vote has no effect.” If you are in this group you will remain ignorant and the course of this country may be determined by forces you will come to despise.