Thoughts on leadership, governance, and voting

I don’t remember it like this. I have voted since turning 18-years-old in Springfield, Illinois – the Land of Lincoln – with my father showing me how to pull down the lever at our precinct polling place in Blessed Sacrament School’s lunchroom. Fast forward 44 years – through hanging chads and technology changes – and I find the civic pride and patriotism of becoming an informed voter and casting a ballot reflective of my conscience no longer resembles the days of my political innocence. While I still educate myself on candidates and issues, and align my vote with my values, the public discourse surrounding elections has created an uneasy environment to put it mildly.

Is there a perfect candidate? No. Are there propositions without flaws and unintended consequences? Of course not. But the situation is not hopeless.

Granted, social media has changed the political landscape, and not necessarily for the better. The pandemic further fueled our dependance on resources that eliminate face-to-face engagement. While our physical circle that includes others is relatively small by necessity, the sphere of influence of outside influences has only expanded exponentially. What is real versus fake? What is reliable information and what is comprised of false narratives? Is our mindset being manipulated and, if so, by whom? As individuals, it would take more hours than the day holds to sift through the thousands of messages that infiltrate our news feeds and cycles daily.

So, what is the best way to navigate the barrage of information? Sources. Identify sources who you can trust for information. Train your intellect to recognize bias and question underlying motivations. Aggregate a diversity of opinion pieces to understand more than one side. Then use your best judgement – armed with information from reliable and diverse sources – to cast your vote for what you believe is the best course of action not just for yourself, but for the greater good.

Your vote is your voice, and it is powerful.

And to all those elected once the Nov. 3, 2020 election has been certified – which involves an additional 28 day canvass in Los Angeles County after the polls close – may they lead and govern with wisdom, compassion, and the inherent desire to do good.