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March 14, 2016

It’s Time to Care.

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Having read and watched clips of potential world leaders jockeying for position on the grand stage that is American politics, I am lost and dumbfounded at the lack of actual debate occurring.

From my simple perspective, the point of a debate is for candidates to expose one’s ideals, philosophies, histories, and plans as they relate to guiding policy that impacts the 319+ million people residing in the confines of our political boundaries, as well as the 7.13+ billion people set to be affected by our nation’s global reach.

Inundated by the sophomoric rhetoric of the candidates, I’m appalled by the simplistic banter that has zero impact on educating voters as to whether these candidates are truly fit to govern.

From bullying tactics of insinuating an individual with small hands/a small penis, to shaming women into voting for women, to calling other candidates names so as to not answer direct questions about policy; we have failed as a society by not requiring these candidates to own up to their end of the bargain.

Children are hungry.

Families are homeless.

People are unable to get the care they deserve.

Families are being destroyed by war.

The planet is being destroyed for our comfort.

Not to mention issues of education, violence, substance abuse, broken infrastructure and unemployment.

The perpetual ignorance and playground horseplay presented as politics to us by those seeking to govern us has to stop. We are dumbing ourselves down.

Every “little hand” meme makes us part of the problem.

Every post that projects women leaders as shrill, power hungry, and/or compensating for failures/success of their husbands makes us part of the problem.

Every picture of a subgroup stereotype made to imply that voters are uneducated, bigoted and prone to violence makes us part of the problem.

Every article that portrays elder politicians as the crazy grandparents with outlandish and unreal ideals makes us part of the problem.

Instead of preserving this style of politicking, I’m challenging myself and others to stick to the subject matter for which we are attempting to uncover, clarify, and understand: policies and their lasting impact.

It’s time.

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Author:  J. Steven Porter

Apprentice Editor: Esther Fiore; Editor: Emily Bartran

Image: Courtesy of Kristen Porter; DonkeyHotey/Flickr

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