First and Foremost

I have never envied those who blogged, nor the time they spend doing so. That said, however, just like the title of my blog depicts, this site is a result of the necessary evils of discussion. That is, the discussion in which we, as intelligent human beings, are innately required to participate in; regardless of whether we'd like to or not.

In spirit of the level of intellect I hope to one day achieve, I feel it most important to engage in thought provoking discussion, scholarly research, and questioning of the world in which we live, in order to use our God given reasoning skills to their fullest.

"The power to question is the basis of all human progress"
-Indira Ghandi

I hope that through this blog I will be able to ask thought provoking questions about the world, in order to provoke discussion that can better help us all to understand life's mysteries.

Please do not feel afraid to respond with opposing views, more thought provoking questions, and qualms of your own. (and especially facts and scholarly research, links, etc) It is for all of our benefit that you do so.

-Kate

Friday, October 15, 2010

Corrupt politicians; are there any deserving of our vote?

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER/COMMENT ON
  • Is the behavior of politicians/political candidates acceptable?
  • Are the right people running for office?
  • Should we be forgiving to candidates concerning their pasts?
  • Does the pull of the 'power in Washington' breed unethical people?
  • How do we choose the 'best' candidate to nominate?

It is a constant topic of discussion in the news, that of the scandals of our political leaders. Many may be false rumors, yet many may also hold truth. It seems that the issue can never be subdued, it is constantly popping up in the media. I believe that these issues beg the question: are any Politicians deserving of our vote? Are any of them worthy of being the mouthpiece for those they supposedly represent?

Some may argue that none are worthy of becoming leaders of our country, whether on a Local, State, or Federal level. Others may argue that the issues they face are like unto those that we all face. That they can relate to us because they have felt the same temptations we all have, and some have endured faltering to those temptations.

Aside from these arguments, it worries me that more and more politicians and political candidates seem to be gaining favor from the American people regardless of their unacceptable pasts. These thoughts are derived from an article in the New York Times I read today about the up-and-coming Tea Party. They are receiving more favor in the eyes of voters and a few may, in fact, come to hold office after the upcoming November elections. Although these tea party members hold very conservative values, (conservatism being the basis of their platforms) there are some who still have sketchy pasts.

For example:
Christine O'Donnell (Del. Senate)- "had to explain dabblings in witchcraft."
Tom Ganley (Ohio)- "was accused of sexual assault and attempted rape by a woman who wanted to volunteer on his campaign."
Jeff Perry (Mass)- holds a questionable past as a police sergeant from the 1990's where he "was the supervisor of an officer that placed his hand in a 14-year-old girl's underwear, saying he was looking for drugs. He was reported to have accompanied that same officer to the home of a 16-year-old girl to tell her parents that she had voluntarily pulled down her pants to show she was not hiding drugs"
Rich Lott (Ohio)- "dressed up as a Nazi re-enactor on weekends for years.
Jim Renacci (Ohio)- "Was assessed nearly $1.4 million in unpaid state taxes after trying to shelter $14 million in income. 

These examples may not be important enough to sway our voting decisions, but I believe that it is important that we completely get to know those running for office in order to make the most educated decision in regards to our voting behavior. Whether that be to vote for them, vote for those running against them, or to simply not support any candidate at all and withhold our vote.

What are your opinions regarding issues like this that creep up in the media?
What are your thoughts considering the questions posted above?
Is this even a relevant issue in your mind?

- Kate

source: The New York Times, Friday Oct. 15 2010
"For Tea Party, Sway Beyond Mere Numbers"
Midterm Results could Expand Influence
by Kate Zernike
Posted by at

1 comment:

  1. MaryOctober 21, 2010 at 8:59 AM

    Have you checked out the stories on each of the individual slams that the New York Times listed? I know you consider that paper an unbiased source, but I don't believe there is such a thing.

    I think it is hypocritical for the media and political parties to dig up dirt on candidates. Our entire society is programmed to accept smut in movies, TV, music and books. Why are Americans so two-faced? I personally hope for high standards in my representatives, but I hold myself to no less.

    That being said, I think it is our responsibility as voters to dig very deep to learn about our candidates' motives, character and beliefs before we vote for them. And I don't believe that means relying on the **corrupt** media in any form. They give us what they want to. They are owned by someone, who has an agenda. Don't believe the headlines alone. Watch a person's actions on all fronts.

    Just like you can't believe that the model on the cover of a magazine really looks like that without the airbrushing and photo manipulations, we have to know for ourselves.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)