One Vote: Make Your Voice Heard

 One Vote: Make Your Voice Heard   by Ben Carson

Founders:

-recognized the possibility that government, drunk with power, might not submit to the will of the people and use the military to suppress the will of the people

2nd Amendment-protects the right of people to bear arms and shall not be infringed

-our system was designed to prevent anyone in any position from escaping the will of the people 

-don't take for granted that provides people with so much power, so learn how to use it and understand our responsibility to use it correctly

Point: Vigilantly guard your rights as voters

Take some steps:

-understand that government works for us and not the other way around

-learn you have basic rights, such as freedom of speech, expression, of religion, property

-watch for government overreach

-watch for wrongdoing when  party puts politics over people that threatens the nation

-know who you are voting for: research each person and groups they take part in

-know ways you can vote and plan for it 

Knowledge is power:

-perceptions change as you learn and that affects decisions you make in life-apply to importance of making your vote count 

-be an active learner: don't just go with what other tell you-even teachers can be biased and not reflect your own values or morals

-active learning also builds your knowledge base so you can defend your position

-active learning makes you a better communicator and will increases your confidence levels

-keeps you from engaging name-calling and demonization of person you disagree with

-sound understanding of history and politics requires comparison of multiple sources 

Points:

-make sure you know where you align

-Communist and Marxist writes are ideological opponents to America so need to know why

-Saul Alinsky wants to fundamentally change American society, so compare his rhetoric as he was a skilled political operators who sought to manipulate people

-have knowledge of different religious literature: Bible, Torah, Koran to be able to defend your moral and values 

-Founders understood importance of spirituality in history and politics

-Study world geography and cultures to help you discuss what you align with 

***The greater your knowledge base the greater your fortification against unscrupulous attempts at indoctrination

National News:

-recognize ideology of what you watch as you want accurate information to make informed decisions

-political bias is rampant in newsrooms

-American Values: Pledge of Allegiance, Patriotism, Appreciation of Flag, Liberty, Freedom, "In God We Trust," "One Nation," "Under God," "In God We Trust," Declaration of Independence, "unalienable rights," "Indivisible," "Justice for All"

-God is referenced throughout our judicial and legislative history

-1st amendment guarantees freedom of religion not freedom from religion

-Media that stoke divisiveness should be carefully scrutinized and those that are heavily biased are unworthy of the voters' trust

Manipulation:

-Congressman should not become multimillionaires

-Senators and Congressman should not benefit from insider information 

-Honest and decent representatives are very unlikely to engage in voter manipulation

-Giveaways are red flags when vying for your vote

-Ordinary people are not victims-victimhood is manipulation

-Opponents should not be demonized 

-Minority voters used as voting oppressive such as identification cards are racists-false tales of voter fraud

-suppress votes through fear mongering and racism: ex. whites oppose black person's liberal politics and on other end whites oppose black person's conservative politics

Point:

-Informed people not easy to manipulate 

America:

-democratic republic-we send representatives to Washington, D.C. to vote on federal laws

-we send representatives to state capital to vote on state laws

-US Congress= composed of Senate and the House of Representatives 

-Each state elected by voters has two senator

-House of Representatives=depends on state's population

-Vote can decide current events= economy, federal debt, healthcare, unemployment, national security, education, etc...

***Civic responsibility to cast your vote at the voting booth

The swamp:

-greed and power is the perception by voters

-perks are enticing so enter to drain the swamp but then gets comfortable in the swamp

Vote your values:

-ex. issue of abortion so if you are pro-life research those running for office that match pro-life values and voting history of the candidate 

-learn about both side of the argument so you are not a blind follower

-freedom of religion means that you are free to speak about and live according to your faith without threats from the government.

-faith and politics can exist side by side

-decide to stand up for your beliefs-don't stay comfortable in silence to avoid controversy

Point:

-separation of church and state does not mean that you must remove your faith from public life and your voting decisions

What Influences You:

-examine the records of people running for public office 

-determine those people who truly represent you

-watch the sphere of influence of your children and your grandchildren

-be a well informed voter and responsible citizen

-help other build their own intelligent opinions

-know what your children are learning in school 

-watch their social media 

Point:

-show those your influence the importance of honesty and integrity in all those that influence them

Practical Steps:

-do your research 

-your party affiliation should match your views and values

-contact your representatives 

-watch your representatives track record on bills they oppose or support-does it match your values

-get to know your candidates through their social media and see how your views compare to the candidates in any election

-follow the money-political funding can reveal a lot about a candidate

-be eligible and register to vote-ex. know early voting can be good but may miss something about a candidate-plan your decisions and vote 

Take Action:

-use your own social media to promote your political awareness 

Point:

***Raise up an Army of Believers made up of people who have determined that their one vote counts and that they can make their voice heard through their vote.

***They can actually make a difference with their vote