America’s Number One Enemy: Ignorance

You might wonder why Common Sense Authors selected this particular topic today. The reason is very basic: Ignorance on the part of a very, very large number of America’s citizenry is the major reason why things are the way they are in our country. Surely you think, there are other enemies to our country especially in the foreign arena. We are at war with terrorists worldwide with among others al Qaida and the Taliban. You are correct, of course. We also have enemies domestically in our opinion and we will write about them in the near future as well. But with the right leaders in charge of our Executive and Legislature branches of the Federal Government we can take on any enemy, foreign and domestic. We have done so in the past and we can do it in the future.

Ignorance is therefore to us the main reason why we consider it the number one enemy in America. When we have only fifty percent voter turnout at election time and we find it somehow acceptable, that is truly dangerous in that is it tells us that fifty percent of eligible voters do not care enough to vote. These numbers vary based on the content of such elections, we sometimes get even lower or somewhat higher turnouts but anything over sixty percent is unheard of. By definition, ignorance or being ignorant is lacking of knowledge or information, uninstructed, uneducated, untutored or even illiterate. It also says that ‘an ignorant person can be dangerous’ (Webster Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary).

This prompts the question: Why is that America’s enemy number One? We will try to answer this as best we can. We are at the beginning of the 2008 Presidential election and it is arguably one of the most important political races in recent history. Consequentially, the person being elected in November to be the next President should get elected on the basis of a solid understanding of where this person stands on issues and what the candidate proposes to do in the future. Over one-hundred million voters who make this selection need to possess a clear understanding of this process before they decide whom to vote for. The voter has to therefore be informed and intelligent enough to make the correct decision. Of course, each individual will have his or her preferences in terms of what they like to see the next President do and achieve, but it should be based on solid understanding of what they have heard from the candidates.

In contrast, nobody should vote on the basis of totally irrelevant matters such as: “I think it’s time for a woman President, it’s time for an evangelical minister to be President, it’s time for a first ever black President or it’s time for a Mormon President.” Nor should it be “I like the way he or she talks, walks and looks!” Any voter should not be easily persuaded by what a reporter, a columnist or self proclaimed political expert or television commentator writes or says. A voter should not fill out his ballot on the basis of what for instance Rush Limbaugh or Oprah Winfrey has to say about a candidate. The right to vote should be taking seriously by every individual and he or she should take the time to fully be able to evaluate what is being said and written on the part of the candidates.

However, in reality, we have way too many people, in fact there are many millions of them, who simply do not have the time for such studies and research and without knowing the facts remain ignorant, or should be considered ignorant about the issues. Without a solid understanding of what a candidate stands for, what he/she has done in the past, what he/she has voted for or against in years past, his/her experience levels and achievements, without such clear understanding, how can anybody vote intelligently?

Please do not misunderstand, whether you are a conservative or liberal or anywhere in between does not matter, what matters is that you as a voter understand what any candidate stands for and how he/she aligns with your personal beliefs and philosophies. If you believe that Government is the answer to all problems then vote accordingly and if you believe Government is the problem then look for the candidate who you think can best represent your beliefs. What is important is that you have fully evaluated the pros and cons of candidates.

But how can you do that if you are fully or partially ignorant? Be honest, you would have to agree that you cannot really vote intelligently without a solid understanding of what candidates believe in and what they stand for. If you cannot differentiate between facts and fiction, visions and pander, promises and realities you should try your utmost to learn how to do that. By voting for people that one likes, or hears nice things about from others such as family, friends, co-workers and neighbors and so on is of tremendous consequence in that there are unfortunately many millions of those people who fall into this category: Being ignorant and uninformed and yet voting for a candidate who, by winning an election, has now the responsibility and burden of the Presidency of this country on his/her shoulders is a very grave danger.

Common sense should dictate to all American voters that such an act, voting in the Presidential election is not just a right but also a privilege, should not be taken lightly but very, very seriously. Being ignorant has to therefore be considered a clear and present danger to America. That is why we believe it to be the number one enemy of America!

This article and others on Common Sense Authors are designed to provoke further thought and investigation.   It is not the intent for the articles to be politically biased. Sources are referenced in each article to encourage readers to delve into the supporting material.  We welcome all readers to participate with their point of view either in support or contrary with additional information sources.