CRITICAL THINKER'S VOTE

I have a ballot. I have the will. I have the right. I will exercise the franchise. However, before I vote, I absolutely must do my critical thinker’s exercise. I will use 3FE, The Tool For Motivational Empowerment in order to effectively validate the decisions I make, who I will vote for, and why. 

Listen, many of you have no time, none at all; none for dinner with children, none for activities that enhance your life as well as your kids’ lives, none for community celebration, none for life enrichment. Many of you have time to live, and that’s about it. That … is a real problem. Why does this matter? It matters because public policy, laws and statutes determine how tax dollars are spent where you live, and whether or not those dollars will allow you to improve your situation, find the time to better yourself like so many ideological folks say you must, and thereby grow to not just live, but live appropriately, live well, thrive, and contribute to the society in which you live. 

How? By having the time to come home and sit with your children, love on them, and inspire them to be more, whether it is you and your spouse, or just you. It all matters. Is the person you’re voting for in your community truly committed to uplifting you and yours? If the person says yes, then what is the plan, where is the proof? 

Before I go into my 3FE example of how to vote, let me give you the lay of the land in Georgia. By percentage an estimate of the Georgia population is 59% White or various American-European, 30% Black or American-African, or various African-American, 8% Hispanic or various American-Latino, 3% American-Asian, 4% other. Take that 59% American-European and acknowledge that a percentage of them will vote Democrat. 

Now, pause and think about the gerrymandering process. If you don’t know, this is the process where the party in power gets to define the borders of a given voting district. The winning party usually uses this process to maximize their ability to retain power. It was a horribly stupid and asinine idea that has persisted to the advantage of both parties, and to the detriment of American citizens. When you consider how the population is shifting, you can begin to understand why elections matter so much to both sides of the ideological divide. However, we can still cut through the ideology if we stick to critical thinking and no small amount of compassion.

If you would vote Democrat, then the possibility should be as plain as the nose on your face. That the state of Georgia is not Red, it’s not even Purple. No, to be quite honest it’s actually Blue. And in this understanding you find the truth of gerrymandering and voter suppression laws. It’s all about power and identity politics. 

Know the truth and then shut it down. Be about the business of voting. 

In our 3FE voting exercise for the sake of simplicity I’m only going to use one position, two candidates, a proposed Georgia Constitutional Amendment, and a Special Election Item. However, please bear in mind you should do this exercise for every item listed on the ballot. Know that critical thinking is more fundamental than just reading, and we all know reading is fundamental. 

Find: Candidates for Governor of Georgia – Stacey Abrams, Brian Kemp, Ted Metz.

Focus:

Stacey Abrams 

·       Documentation of stated Platform 

Brian Kemp

·       No documentation of stated Platform – bullets, talking points, and quotes

Ted Metz

·       In my study of Libertarianism I have found it antithetical to an expansive and divergent society so therefore must rule Ted Metz out as humans in the aggregate cannot behave as libertarians. This is my opinion.   

Fundamentals:In assessing the two remaining candidates Kemp has violated one of my primary principles as a critical thinker. In general he has a 4-point plan of bullets and talking points. He has no real stated plan. At least he has not posted it, again a violation. In particular I believe in Health Care as a human right. The core of Abrams’s plan includes the expansion of Medicaid, ending the decision to leave millions of federal dollars for healthcare on the table because of ideology. Kemp states no way to pay for his bullets. When it comes to support in healthcare let me just say I make a lot of money and still cannot take care of my special needs sister without the help of government. This is not an evil thing. It’s what happens in a society where we are committed to caring for one another. For this point alone … the plan is to vote for Stacey Abrams.

Honorable mention on the Fundamentals is the fact that Kemp has played fast and loose with the politics of our state and voting rights. He remains in charge of voting as the Secretary of State and legally if not immorally pushed voter suppression by exercising laws that were passed specifically to disenfranchise people who may vote democrat. In particular he disenfranchised people who look like me, Black people.  This isn’t business, this isn’t just politics. This is personal.

Execute:Vote for Stacey Abrams on November 6th. 

Find:Proposed Constitutional Amendments – Provides rights for victims of crime in the judicial process. 

Focus:The amendment is called Marcy’s law. Apprarently this law is being promoted by a billionaire who lost his sister to violence. His money is why from state to state the law has seen success and been passed. The commercials in Georgia are powerfully compelling and have the touch of master marketers doing what they do best, convincing you to do something with little or no thought, just like you constantly purchase things you don’t need because of a hot commercial. The commercials do not tell you that victim laws are already on the books that do exactly what Marcy’s law seeks to address. If I consider that it might be good to have some overload on laws that already exist I have to consider the power of an amendment change, and what that means. A constitutional amendment is expensive, though when it comes to victims money is not core to the equation. However, any change to the amendment would require a special election. The same applies if we would want to remove it. The best information we can find to gauge the law is what has happened in other states. The truth is sobering. Some states have spent millions to implement the redundant law. However, my major concern and fear is the accused right to due process, emphasized NOT at the expense of the victim. As a person of color the thought that one may be accused of a crime and held in jail for an extended amount of time as guilty until proven innocent is terrifying and can have devastating effects on a person’s life should he/she be proven innocent.  This in no way diminishes my compassion and concern for the victims. What it does In my personal opinion is clarify that the origin of this effort was borne of hurt and pain and in many instances some redress must be established. However, there are still too many issues with the proposal for me to vote for such an amendment with confidence. I need more. However, I am certain that powerful marketing will accomplish its goal and Marcy’s law will become a Georgia Constitutional Amendment. Both candidates for governor support the law. My hope is that my concerns will amount to nothing, and that the amendment will do what it truly intends, and that’s protect victims. 

Fundamentals:In assessing Marcy’s Law I cannot vote yes on something as essential as a Constitutional Amendment. The plan is to vote no.

Execute:Vote No on Marcy’s law on November 6th. 

Find:Special Election – Earlier Sunday Sales Referendum. 

Focus:Basically this is about allowing us good folks in Georgia who enjoy a nice cocktail or a straight shot of rye or even moonshine on a Sunday to do what we please. This is something I know many of us can agree on. It don’t take a lot of critical thinking. 

Fundamentals:I like a good drink so the plan is to vote yes. 

Execute:Vote yes on the referendum on November 6th so I can have a drink earlier on Sunday and no law will curtail my ability to purchase alcohol I so choose on Sunday.

Something you will note if you take the time to go through this exercise, even at a cursory level, you will find a great deal of common ground, areas where the parties should be able to compromise if not for the destructive nature of identity politics and scorched Earth partisanship. Consider this, and share it with your elected officials. Those of us that are reasonable, on either side of the ideological divide must force our officials back to the table of compromise. 

The best solutions are always derived from diversity. Yes, diversity, diversity of thought, which is borne of experience, which can mean country of origin, education, any number of things, which when utilized in positive conflict in the confluence of ideas most often produces a superior solution, refined in the crucible of perspective, different ideas and different points of view in a powerful give and take dialogue, providing the best outcome. Consider all this critically.

 And of course, be good to yourselves, and each other. 

YES, IN NOVEMBER 2018, WE MUST REMEMBER THE VOTE

Have you already started voting? Have you waited in line? Have you stood as constituents, arrayed as a solid force of Red or Blue, molded in your gerrymandered district? Have you stood brave amongst your ideological opposite, the lone blue in a sea of red, the brave red in a sea of blue? Have you voted? If you have, congratulations on exercising the franchise. I can only hope you have done what’s right given the candidate running and the prevailing issues of today’s America. 

If you have voted I hope you voted with a critical thinking mind and a compassionate heart. I say be compassionate as you vote because it matters. Compassion elevates our humanity, and makes us considerate as our sisters’ and brothers’ keepers. There is far too little compassion in our national discourse. I say think with a critical thinking mind because I have said critical thinking is the balm for what ails us. We must all strive to be critical thinkers. We must all strive to elevate our politics. We must all strive to build a more cohesive polity, which realize the power of us all being together, being in it to build better, together. 

If you haven’t voted, then I will show you an example of how I believe it must be done. It takes time. It requires some work. However, now more than ever before I think we must truly again treat the franchise at the powerful and highly valued commodity that it is. The franchise is the root of American freedom. The franchise drives the soul of our nation. The franchise defines the course of the generation. The franchise informs the era, and highlights who we are, what we believe, and how we behave. Yes, it is just that important. That is why women marched for it. That is why women were jailed for it. That is why women were tortured for it. That’s why people of color hung for it. That’s why people of color were beaten for it. That is why people of color were shot down in the street for it, cold and compassionless as less-than beings more akin to beasts of property than beings of dignity, upright and deserving as any white man lacking melanin. 

Please take a moment to review the post on how to use 3FE to vote tomorrow I think you will find it illuminating, at least I hope you do. Consider it critically. And remember, be kind to yourselves, and each other. 

AMERICANS MUST VOTE

I was asked why I don’t post on politics anymore. The thought was that I did have an impact. My response was that it is entirely too time consuming with no real ROI, Return On Investment. Despite any impact my words may have had I found it fruitless to dive deep into the ideological divide and the swamp of identity politics with facts, point and perspective, going back and forth with people who choose their sides and speak loudly from their own echo chambers. People choose their sides and then choose to not listen.

Plus, the bottom line as that the mediums on which we post are profit centers specifically engineered to consume our time, hold our attention, and drive us to consumption, while locking us endlessly into the platform. We lose our ability to engage in the real world when we spend an inordinate amount of time engaging in the virtual, such that it is. 

So, the discussion pivoted to what could I do, what would I do, if there were still a few people who might listen? That answer through introspection and focus became simple. There is value in engaging on online platforms, from using them for fun, social responsibility, profit making, to education. All these apply in the aggregate as well as for the individual. I believe my value can be found in sharing what I’ve learned and how I have decided to proceed in all my endeavors, including my politics.  

With that in mind, with regard to the upcoming election I would say each of you spread the word that there is a day of responsibility fast approaching. I would ask that you think deeply about the responsibility of the franchise, and how in all the world the experiment that is the American right to vote is perhaps the best, most stable example of the voting process. 

I would say you are not living up to your responsibility as a citizen of this country if you do not exercise the franchise. I would say that in America you are free, though that freedom is complex, fraught with flaws and failures, it is still yours, and if you would protect it, seek to correct it, evolve it for the better, then it is demanded of you that you act, that you exercise the franchise. You must vote.  

And finally, in keeping with all that I am pushing, more so with focus than I have before, I would ask that we embrace critical thinking, for it is the balm for that which ails us. Only critical thinking can free us from our echo chambers. Only real critical thinking can allow us to overcome our hardwiring for ideology and identity politics, only the questions of the critical thinking mind can drive us to see each other as human, that we are all Americans, and that we must take a breath, and realize that when we start by seeing each other as evil with no hope of redemption, then the prospect of all of us living free as we see fit is doomed from the start. 

In voting, I would ask that you use 3FE: Find, Focus, establish your Fundamental Plan, and Execute. Find the details about your candidates. Who are you voting for? Why are you voting for them? What have they done to earn your vote? When have they earned your vote, on what issues, and are they consistent? How have they earned your vote? Where are they active in what they do? Ask the critical questions. 

Focus on the questions freeing yourself from the identity politics as you ask. Let go of group-think. Cast it out. Toss it away. The critical thinkers voting process is thus:

-      Consider the candidate in terms of what they have done and what they say they can do for you. 

-      Consider the candidate in terms of what they have done and what they say they can do for your family. 

-      Consider the candidate in terms of what they have done and what they say they can do for your community. 

-      Consider the candidate in terms of what they have done and what they say they can do for your town or city.

-      Consider the candidate in terms of what they have done and what they say they can do for your state. 

-       Consider the candidate in terms of what they have done and what they say they can do for your country. 

-      Consider the candidate in terms of what they have done and what they say they can do for the world. 

Have you been to the candidate’s website? Have you read their platform? Do you know what a platform is? Again, an informed electorate is a powerful electorate. Each of us must hold each other up and support each other on the facts. Does the candidate note have a platform? Do they just have videos and no written words? If they do not write, or cannot write, or won’t make time to write what they have done and what they will do then as a critical thinker you must question their ability to lead.  What role are they seeking to fill? Think about that role and apply it to the questions above. 

Even if the candidate is running for a local council seat, ask those questions. Think about what the future might be like if the candidate seeks higher office. Consider their intelligence, their temperament, their character. DON’T CONSIDER THE PARTY, consider the person. In these times most candidates will fall in line with their party, but it is incumbent upon you as the critical thinker that asks the right questions to demand that your candidate only embrace and follow the party when it will help their constituency and buck the party when it will not, BE A MAVERICK WHEN IT IS REQUIRED, no matter the threats they may receive from party leadership. These are the kind of politicians we need. 

 Consider those questions before you vote. Look at the ballot in your precinct. Then, plan who you are going to vote for in each position. Then, on election day, execute.  Vote, and be proud of having voted, with the consideration and understanding of why you voted the way did. 

Georgia Sample Ballot: http://bit.ly/GAsampleballot

And always, always remember the hallmark of the critical thinker as you exercise the franchise. It will help you disavow the pervasive power of identity politics that clouds all of our minds and prevents us from thinking for ourselves.  The hallmark of the critical thinker is the sincere ability to seek to understand and internalize the perspectives of others, most especially when that perspective is diametrically, or even violently opposed to our own. 

Consider it critically. Vote!