Back to Basics

"Look at all this junk," my husband said as handed me the day's mail.

He was talking about the political advertisements. I told him to put them on a pile with the rest; I was going count up the ads and vote against the candidate who sent us the most. Is that a silly way to make such an important decision?

Voting feels like a crap shoot anymore, and unless you know them personally, it's darn hard to know the truth about each candidate.

A pile of political ads spread across our kitchen table.

Truthfully though, I must persevere, just like you. If I am going to speak out in favor of a world I want created, then I must support the brave individuals who are willing to navigate the political seas to do the same. It's a cop-out to say all politicians are corrupt, and moreover, if I buy into that and give up on voting, I'll just feed the corruption.

But the time has come for a decision. How do I really choose? I ask others...those who share my position on issues...those who are more dedicated to watching politics than I.

Below are examples of voter guides which can help. I'm not suggesting these have all the answers or even that they will be a fit for you. I just want to provide these as examples of the kinds of resources available to help you decide, short of counting cards:

League of Women Voters

League of Conservation Voters

This is a new one to me, but I'm including it as resource anyway:

Keystone Progress Progressive Voter's Guide

If you weren't planning to vote today, I ask you to reconsider. Look in your own network and come up with ONE candidate you can support. If they don't work out as planned, that won't be your fault. The records will show that you voted, and the politicians (both corrupt and sincere) will know you're watching.

How do you decide?