By Rob Meyne
- July 17, 2024
- 4-min read
Many people admire Donald Trump, while many hate him. How can so many presumably intelligent people view something so differently? The answer starts with these questions: what do you value; how much do you care about what happens in the country; how willing are you to express your opinion and listen to that of others; and how much effort do you make to be informed and rely on news sources that are reputable, reliable, and objective?
Do you just listen to MSNBC and read the NYT? Do you have the courage and energy to share your views, listen to others who share theirs, and be willing to learn and persuade in equal measure?
Most people don’t do those things. Many people go through their adult lives without giving ANY serious, objective thought to their values and political beliefs. It is certainly FAR easier to just tune out the information and the noise and quit thinking about it.
EXCEPT that it is the wrong thing for you and your family. And for mine, BTW. Pardon the bluntness, but if YOUR refusal to get engaged, and to get fair and accurate information, leads you to cast a vote that leads to a person getting elected who does things that put us in danger, well… YOUR actions, then, have hurt all of us. THAT is why I have limited patience for people who don’t think about, or learn about, politics.
What happens in this year’s presidential race affects all of us. When you make decisions that are based on inaccurate information, or popular narratives you have heard so often you assume they are true, it can lead to the election of, for example, someone who is pushing for war instead of someone who is an advocate for peace. You and your children could die in such a war. It is startling and shocking that millions of people vote based more on someone’s gender or skin color than on which candidate is more likely to lead us to a nuclear holocaust.
Decisions about politics are unlike most that you make. If you choose to bank at a particular place, vacation at a given place, or attend a specific church, it impacts you and you alone. But, what you do in regard to politics affects us all.
The underlying question is always one of what do you value? Do you place the highest value on freedom, safety, security, diversity, improving education, economic equality, or….what?
For me, freedom is the number one priority. I vote for the person and party that increases freedom, reduces the power of government, and celebrates individuals rather than groups. You may make other choices.
Which leads us to Trump. He did not have to run for president the first time. Or the second. Or now. He is a gazillionaire, married to literally a super model, in good health, and could have played golf and relaxed and helped his kids run their company. Instead, he has gone through hell.