So here I am to rain on the party. Both of them, come to think of it.
Folks, I am so truly exhausted of hearing the following inane statement that it’s all I can do to not start physically screaming and banging my head against the nearest available wall (at this point I am not fussy). Here’s the cause of my head-banging headaches lately: “It doesn’t matter whom you vote for. Just vote!” Actually, folks, it really does matter whom you vote for. And if in fact you are one of the apparent multitudes of Americans who show up to “just vote” but have no idea what their candidate(s) stand for, please don’t. Just say no (this works so well for more than refusing drugs, by the way).
No, this is not an attempt to “stack the decks” with certain types of votes, and this is not an attempt to get lots of live voters to not show up so that in the darkness of night I can provide the important opportunity and right for many fine dead people from the local cemetery to vote as well. (This would be the province of ACORN. Well, that and providing folks with legal advice on how to set up illegal houses of prostitution utilizing underage, illegal immigrant girls. But I digress.).
In reflecting on the history of the 20th century recently, I have been reminded that there have been a great number of despicable people (Hitler, anyone?) who were legally voted into office in various locations around the world, our own included. Although I cannot get inside the heads of those long dead (especially those who left no written record explaining why they might have made the choices they did), I suspect that most people in many of those voting situations really didn’t intend to elect monsters who would commit genocide on various people groups, including their own, and throw the globe into world wars. They just didn’t know enough…about the candidate, about the situation, and possibly even about their own political beliefs and moral values to keep from making some pretty horrible misjudgments. The repercussions for some of these misjudgments are still being felt decades and decades later…and millions of people are dead because of it.
So no, please don’t “just vote!” without having bothered to find out whether or not the candidate you might so carelessly check into office shares your political beliefs and ethical values about how the country should be run. Although I am personally unaware of any Hitler-esque candidates that we could vote into office on November 3 in my own state, for example, my reflections on voting without being appropriately informed aren’t specifically tied to this particular election, its candidates, or its hot-button issues. Rather it is the habit of becoming complacent, even careless, in our extraordinary opportunity and incredible privilege to vote that really sobers me. And frightens me rather badly, if the history of the 20th century is any kind of predictor.
Numerous Americans have died so that I could have the right to walk into that booth and check that candidate into office. Let’s honor their memory and the rich legacy of freedom they’ve left to us by making informed choices that not only we can live with, but that our children’s children can live with as well.
Now go and (make an informed) vote on November 3!
I agree + this is what i mean about wanting less people guessing + assuming. ive knocked on a lot of doors + seen churches brainwash groupthink to the point that the people vote based on one issue + the preacher exalts himself god.
Jackie,
I think the problem is bigger than just “churches that brainwash people”. How about MTV’s Rock the Vote? Or how about groups that drive the the homeless shelter, pick up a group of people and say they will feed them at Dennys if they vote for the Democrat on the ticket? Or how about being told by celebrities in Hollywood that the most important thing is to vote, yet they have no idea what the candidates stand for when asked?
ben, no discussion was allowed. the audience could agree with amen + that’s right brother, leave, or be removed. i have a great site that exposes brainwashing methods. not allowing discussion is one method.
ben, is that a smokescreen rather than acknowledge brainwashing + groupthink? do the examples u gave allow people choices? the churches that i attended promoted all or nothing fallacies + demonized the opposing views with ad hominems. the primary author of the us constitution, james madison, had some great quotes about what happens when church + state combine… both are i n their purest form when kept separate… some of his quotes r on my info page.
Hi, Jackie and Benjamin–
Very interesting conversational thread here! I can certainly agree that I’ve seen brainwashing in various places (some of them highly unlikely…places people would never think to look for it). I think it’s possible there’s some slight misunderstanding going on between the comments, though. If I’m not mistaken, here’s what I’ve seen in the conversational exchange so far:
Jackie mentions that she’s seen churches engage in brainwashing. Unfortunately, I, too, have seen a small minority of religious groups (not just churches) engage in this. It’s very unfortunate, because you would think that if these groups really, really believed the statements they’re telling everyone, there would be no need to brainwash and no need for fear. They would believe that truth can and does eventually stand on its own, so they wouldn’t need to coerce others into thinking the same way they do. Whenever I personally see brainwashing or an attempt to manipulate others into thinking the same way as oneself, then I do tend to question whether or not the manipulator/brainwasher really believes, deep down inside, what they’re telling everyone else to believe.
Then Benjamin says that it’s not only churches that engage in brainwashing. Another excellent point: I’ve seen a lot of political brainwashing/garbage from ideologues over the last 15 years or so…and I’ve seen much more of it politically than religiously (but I can only speak for myself).
Jackie then speaks further about the nature of the brainwashing she observed, commenting that no discussion was allowed. Very interesting…and that has certainly been my experience in observing manipulators/controllers/brainwashers as well.
The point where I think there could be some misunderstanding going on is in the next comment, where Jackie questions Benjamin as to whether or not he is “throwing up a smokescreen” instead of acknowledging the possibility of brainwashing in churches. From what I can tell, he does acknowledge in his comment that brainwashing occurs in some churches (he implies that the brainwashing problem is far bigger than something that occurs only in churches). He then goes on to raise some excellent questions about possible brainwashing he’s observed in non-religious contexts.
Hopefully this conversational thread can continue in a positive manner–it’s certainly been interesting so far! Have a great day, guys–
Cara stated that she is truly exhausted of hearing people told to go vote even if they havent a clue about the candidates. im exhausted of hearing churches, christian television, + christian radio indoctrinate political groupthink + then say to go vote. not just guessing + assuming that the preacher knows the only black + white truth, but by the preachers + christian personalities posing as newscasters using every manipulation + fallacy conceivable + then they try to say people who disagree would support hitler.
Let me rewrite the last sentence. the problem is not just people guessing + assuming that their ministers know the only black + white political truth, but that the political card- carrying preachers + christian personalities who pose as newscasters use every conceivable manipulation + fallacy to indoctrinate political groupthink. then, they have the balls to say that anyone who disagrees with them would support hitler.
I read a few topics. I respect your work and added blog to favorites.
Bunker, thanks for dropping by! Come back anytime–