Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Importance of Self-Education

Maybe it's just me, but I think that education is important. I don't just mean the kind of education that can be bought at a university. College educations are an essential part of America's economy and culture, but education of the self is equally --if not more-- essential. Humans are not born with knowledge of the universe and its workings, therefore they must gather information to educate themselves. Whether in school, at work, or in the home, information is readily available.

When a person makes no attempt to learn, or learns but makes a concerted effort to deny true information, that person demonstrates ignorant behavior. Ignorance can be easily remedied by reading the newspaper, listening to the radio, or holding an intellectual conversation with friends and family. Therefore I find it absolutely unacceptable to live an insulated life of ignorance and bias. Recently, I found an ad in the village newspaper which made public the uneducated political opinion of a local resident. Here it is, unedited except to preserve the identity of the author:

" INTRODUCTION: This paid political ad was published in the Villager on October 3, 2008. It is still true today and a whole lot more painful. Now after four (4) years it is much worse with $6 billion more debt under Obama's watch, for a total over $16 billion...that is $51,000 to be paid back by every man, woman and child in the U.S. How is this possible with out your children and grandchildren existing at a very low standard of living. Obama is destroying the country with his reckless and unworkable economic policies. The only prayer we have is to change course and let Mitt Romney greatly expand the private sector with millions and millions of good paying jobs. Here is something we can relate to every day. Obama's disastrous energy policies have resulted in the price of a gallon of gas increasing from late Dec. 2008 (less than a month before he took office) at a $1.65 to about $4.00 a gallon in just 3 years...you used to pay $25 to fill up your tank, now it is $60.

IT IS DOWN RIGHT SCARY TO THINK. THAT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA Could BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

-He has never run anything...no demonstrated leadership.
-He has long-term associations with Terrorist and Anti-Americans.
-In his formative years his mentor was a marxist and communist.
-He was a continued drug user...marijuana and cocaine.
-As for education he attended an elite private high school, Columbia and Harvard Universities...little connection with the average American.
-He will have to cut our military and eliminate or reduce on-going new weapon systems to modernize our fighting forces to pay for his new programs.
-His new programs with higher taxes (paid for by you and me) will bankrupt our country.
-His legislative record is a zero and he has demonstrated no ability to work with both parties.
-He was unable to anticipate the pending financial crisis, inability to provide effective and timely leadership to solve it and is receiving financial advice from the men who caused the mortgage crisis.
-He has no experience in executive positions and will be unable to lead and move this great country forward as the leader of the free world. It takes more than catchy phrases and flowery words."

The advertisement made me question the basis of this man's opinion. Had he truly written an article of such utter fiction and believed it to be true? I understand some of his hesitation about economic recovery, but if this man believes that Obama was the singular cause of the recession, he needs to check his facts. I could say so much more, but it is exhausting to even consider the number of inaccuracies in this man's opinion.

Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to politics. The less you know about each candidate and the issues for which they stand, the more you put yourself and your fellow citizens in jeopardy. The United States of America are meant to be driven forward by the people. When ignorant and bigoted words and actions affect some of the people, all of the people are held back. Thus the country cannot move forward.

I therefore implore you to make an educated decision in this election. If you have already committed to vote for one candidate or another, I ask you to re-examine the choice you have made.

Will your favored candidate do ALL he or she can to support the well-being of the people? Will he or she promote the progress of that well-being? Have you chosen the candidate that will bring you the most personal benefit, or does your candidate bring the promise of broader benefits to those who most need them? If you truly believe in your candidate, by all means vote. If you remain uninformed, inform yourself. Listen to the facts, educate your heart, and vote for the person most likely to keep the United States moving forward.

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