To the editor: When we as Americans first consider voting, we embark on a compelling personal journey. We know this because, above all else, we understand that our vote matters, and how precious and fragile a thing that is. We know that we have a say in choices made even at the highest level of government that affect our daily lives.
However much that we know and understand about our system of government and how it impacts our lives in the beginning, we think more about our vote because we want to make the best possible choice in a complex world that no single person can ever fully understand.
We may read articles in news sources we trust and listen to podcasts, radio, the opinions of our peers, and to what we hear on television and even campaign ads, and we may very well wonder how much of what we’re hearing is true. We fact check as best we can. We may change our minds a lot on this journey or not much at all. However we get our information, we become more invested in learning each time we make a plan to vote.
With more information, our minds can open themselves to new ideas, and with an open mind, we can improve our game by leaps and bounds. Sometimes the hardest thing about being a voter is when we come to regret a choice we made in the past. We may question our ability to choose well or come to a realization about ourselves, maybe that we’re relying on others’ opinions because we didn’t fully trust our own misgivings, or maybe just that we need to explore other sources.
It’s a journey, after all, and no one knows for sure how the results will play out. Even the smartest and most well-informed person in the room knows that they are simply doing the best they can with the information that they have. That can make voting not only the most intriguing and relevant game in town, but also the most compelling journey of a lifetime – the search for truth.
Bess Conklin
Clarkesville