op-ed

The Liars That Run Our Country


By Will Hopkins
Guest Writer for the Chronicle


There is a pandemic running ramped in our wonderful country right under our noses. I think we all can see it, but no one knows how to stop it or even if they can. What is this horrific travesty? It is the fact that our government officials not only flash things up but the lie straight to the citizens. They are so interested in getting votes and so disinterested in how they get them. This is a vicious cycle that both parties are playing, one goes just a step further and pushes the other to do the same and it only gets worse.

Now I realize that these men (and women) are under a lot of pressure and a lot of microscopes from everywhere, but still. It should not ever occur to them that during a speech they can spout whatever they like to get people on their side. It almost seems silly to think that this would be a problem, but the issue is we all have become so accustomed to it we do not see it as such a large problem. We have become desensitized to lying politicians. Not only has that become their stereotype, but it is widely accepted and even joked about. How can the people that run our country and make these decisions with global implications be seen as nothing more than liars with good people skills?

All lying aside, there are still more topics that can be seen as suspect up a politicians sleeve. These people are smart, don’t get me wrong, they know how to connect and please people. That is why they have such flashy spectacles to take our minds of what they are saying. They have many ways to do this. They build huge sets to give a speech or have balloons and confetti. They have unnecessary light shows and fireworks, you name it and they are using it to entertain the public enough to earn a vote.

That is another question, is that even considered earning a vote? I would say no, I would say they are buying votes or doing cheap tricks for votes. Do we want a president who was voted in by amused people or by people who actually know the topics and heard what the candidates have to say on these topics?

Now, it seems that if you take away all of this entertainment we are left with boring and candidates that are not interesting. This is not the case. Some of the most interesting people in our history did not need all these spectacles; they relied on their own stances on topics and charisma. These people are remembered for doing what was right and not giving in to anything. I feel some of the politicians today have fallen into the trap of trying to please everyone when they are actually there to run the government and protect ourselves and or rights. We do not need anymore stand up comedians or magicians, we need some men and women who will stand up on solid group and not be afraid to say the truth and be real with America.

I am not going to pick a side in this article because for this area or politics, both parties are guilty and both need to be fixed. It is not a mater of one running a cleaner campaign than the other. If your campaign is based on something that is just a small fraction false it is a dirty campaign. It is sad to see that both parties have come to this state but this should just further the realization that something must be done to fix both parties and all of our highly prized free government.

Yet, we as Americans do almost nothing to stop this. We abstain from voting like that will show our discontent, but does that really make the politicians see our views? No. We have to take a stand. I realize most Americans do not want to make a scene or be looked as like a crazy person, so all I ask is that we all take a deeper look at not only what the candidates are saying, but look at the facts and do some research. Focus on what is import to you as a person, citizen, and voter and do not be distracted by all the bells and whistles they might be using to cloud the real topics.

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