Things are about to get scary. The 2016 election is already historic with 13 candidates in the arena and newcomers announcing every week. There is fierce competition for voter attention and the most effective way to get attention is to frighten. In the sixteen months between now and the 2016 election, we will hear about the end of the world as we know it. It doesn’t matter if the end comes by rising oceans, violent weather, nuclear annihilation, undocumented immigrants, be-headings, or economic meltdown. There are thirteen scenarios and there are twelve people who will bring each of them on while one – just one – can save us.
The problem with this fear is that we know it’s unfounded. We know that we’ve been inundated with sensationalized problems, that there are layers and layers of safeguards and protections but when the lights are out and the room is quiet something sneaks in. Suddenly we lie awake thinking that ISIS COULD penetrate the vast geography of this country and we would be powerless to stop them. Or perhaps tomorrow the ocean WILL rise beyond the shore and knock out ports and homes, bringing us to economic ruin. Anything is possible in the dark of night.
Anything is possible because we wake up with pieces of these late night worries that haunt us throughout the day. We find articles on-line that perpetuate the fear, but fail to educate. Then we fixate and research and suddenly we are educated in indignance and can wallow in our new fears. Fear is a terrible adviser. When we react to fear, we cannot make good decisions. This won’t just impact the election, but our lives for the next sixteen months. Anytime we live in a state of fear, our decision-making skills are hampered and there is a self-perpetuating cycle of destruction. We are living in perilous times; none of us can afford to make a series of bad decisions.
Luckily, we have a weapon. We have sixteen months to arm ourselves with knowledge. When we understand the issues of the day, we can avoid bias. We can entertain multiple angles and understand that truth lies where they intersect. We can sort through the noise of sensational memes and social media posts that are designed to remind us there is a boogey-man in the shadows. Best of all, we can lead others away from fear and teach them what we know.
Finding reliable knowledge within the fog of social media is nearly impossible. This is time to seek out impartial sources, people who will build relationships and invest. For some, that may be a church that offers lifestyle classes. Others may find them in a civic center setting. In Colorado, we have a resource with the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. This foundation is invested in helping Americans to find ways to navigate this new economy and to once again believe in the American Dream.
With sixteen months until the 2016 election, we can do better than just knowing what the candidates say they stand for and what they say about their competition. We have time to understand our identities as Americans. When we know ourselves, we recognize our reflection in others. This is what we want to take to the polls next November, a reflection of our own American identity.