Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship! We are a month away from elections, so it’s time to be thinking about the candidates, their credentials, but most of all, finding out who they are from reliable sources-namely the candidate’s own actions. Let’s jump right in!
How can you know a candidate? You know the old saying, “If someone tells you who they are, believe them.” People say many things, so that’s not the most reliable way of “reading” them. Neither is “judging a book by its cover.” The best way to know a person is by their actions. It’s a citizenship issue, so let’s talk about it.
Changes
What if a person changes over time? It happens. That’s why you need to have a more recent history of a person’s actions. Who of us could stand the scrutiny of going back 30 or 40 years? Life has a way of maturing us, making us stronger and even more confident than the trial and error years of our youth.
Discovery
In any case, we are in an elec-tion cycle. We hear many things about many people. So, what do you believe? “My good friend told me that…!” Or, “I heard it on the news.” Or “I read it in the paper.” How can you evaluate an individual based on gossip, news media, or neighborhood hearsay? It would be best if you had a conversation with someone who knows the person well.
How This Applies to Today
Well, how can I know a candidate who lives 3 hours away, you ask? You have to do your footwork. Americans tend to take the easy route. What is needed is the best evidence you can find of a candidate’s actions in recent years. Watch out for sound clips taken out of context. That’s a form of manipulation. Try to locate a video of the event. Look for at least a paragraph of what the candidate says. Then, follow up. Do they say what they mean and mean what they say? What is their track record if they are an incumbent? Ask a reliable source for the best information and then follow up on that information. It’s available. Again, it helps to take a few moments to find it.
Finding out the most accurate information is possible. Remember, if someone tells you who they are, believe them. Actions speak louder than words.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸
