October 7th, 2021

Think for yourself and vote wisely

An attentive and involved electorate is what makes a democracy function. With a vote on the “Right to Vote” bill still elusive, liberals have focused on the efforts of conservative state legislators to impede the ease of voting for working-class Americans. Indeed, Congress and the courts should take action against policies that permit the obstruction of voting. But there is an even greater danger to American democracy. Citizens could give up on the belief in democratic political action resolving their problems. There is already far less concern than there should be about who gets elected.

This problem is a greater possibility than one might imagine. Life has already become overwhelmingly complex with the growth of technology, which creates a major set of problems even as some other issues might be resolved. Some people have had to ignore their personal inquiry into the character and talents of candidates running for political office. Personal inquiry has been replaced with reliance on endorsements from prominent individuals or on well-designed television commercials.

The prevalence of technological solutions has dulled our innate instincts. With successful vaccinations for measles, mumps, polio and common flu so prevalent, how could so many Americans be deceived into believing that inoculation for COVID-19 was dangerous? Millions relied on this bad advice and more than 700,000 people in the U.S. have lost their lives.

This is no time to permit celebrity endorsements to interfere with your judgment on the best candidates for Boston’s city government. Your inner wisdom will lead you to those candidates with whom you would enjoy having a beer.

editorial, voting