Letter to the editor: Be an informed voter, do research before you choose

So, here we are, with two of the worst presidential tickets in history. Not one of the four candidates, presidential or VP personalities do I like, but elections are not a popularity contest.

Voting should be based on one's vision and hopes for their future, the policies they support and whom the voter believes will do the most good or least harm.

I cannot think of a more critical or important election with higher stakes.

If you never took civics or economics, now is the time to take a crash course. Do you know how your candidate votes on the issues, most importantly those that align with your own ideology? No candidate will check all your boxes, so make a list of pros and cons, educate yourself, empower yourself with knowledge. Listen to speeches from all candidates and watch a variety of news outlets, not just one. Listen to opposing views and draw your own conclusions. If you only listen to the voices that agree with you, you will never learn anything. Be informed. Pay attention to the messaging, listen to economists. Don't get caught up in whom is supporting whom, the crowd size, polls, etc.; they are just distractions.

Young voters, don't vote for a candidate just because your favorite singer, movie star or athlete does. Their lives will never equate to yours. You can still enjoy their music, movies or game play, but you need to look at what is best for you and your loved ones. Don't fall victim to the social media trap. Be an individual and think for yourself. No one is in that voting booth but you.

I leave you with these final thoughts. As I see it, the biggest threat to democracy is socialism. It does not work, it never has. It only encourages poverty and dependency on government. Wouldn't you rather make your own choices than a government that makes the decisions for you? You needn't look any further than 90 miles from our coast to Cuba to see what a socialistic society looks like. Just look at the number of social programs in this country that have been failures and plunged people into generational poverty. Socialists are the Robin Hoods; they want to take everything from you, starting with your hard-earned money. They dangle the "free carrot" in front of people. Folks - there is nothing free in this world.

This push for socialism started with Clinton and the NAFTA trade agreement. Take your job, give it to someone else and then make you dependent on that someone else for the goods you once made. There has been a stealth, subliminal messaging ever since, and the drum beat has only grown louder. Now it is totally blatant, they just hope you don't notice. They want to tell you what car or even the stove to buy. Wake up, please. If you don't understand socialism go on Wikipedia, it will explain it in simple terms.

Lastly, I encourage everyone to do their homework. Don't be distracted by shiny new things, and don't allow your emotions to overrule your sensibility.

KATHLEEN KREKLAU

Sumter