Each day brings us closer to election time.  The news is already on information overload. Both candidates have supporters, ads and an agenda.

The country if you believe the media is crisis and it may very well be.  Things are definitely not going well. People are angry and rightly so, but are they angry about the right things?

As a teacher, I have felt how my profession has been attacked in the last couple of years.  Teachers and other public sector workers have come under fire. We are according to some greedy selfish individuals growing rich off of the public’s money. I would love to challenge these individuals who believe that I am somehow living high on the hog.  My bank account and credit score are tangible evidence that I am not. My health benefits and retirement plan were suppose to be my compensation for being paid less than I would make in the private sector.

The upcoming election is a test of our nations ability to make decisions for itself.  Do we have the ability to separate the propaganda from the facts? Do we know what we truly want for our nation? What is actually best for the country as a whole not just for ourselves? Can we separate our emotions from the facts in order to make a logical choice?

Politicians from both sides count on us voting with our hearts instead of our minds or better yet both.  I admit that I was guilty of this early in my voting career.  I voted the way my birth father did because I felt that our shared values dictated it. It was only later as I walked further and further into the adult world that I realized while my values had not changed my perception did.  I have lived on minimum wages, without insurance and in public housing.  The view from the middle is vastly different from the view from the bottom of society.

Neither party has the perfect solution for the country. It will take compromise and innovation to get us where we are once again prosperous.  In the next election, it really does matter if you vote and let your voice  be heard.  No voting is how Florida ended up with Governor Scott, who hasn’t been the boost to the state’s economy that he promised.  A few people decided what was best for the rest of the state. Now, my paycheck has been decreased in the name of conserving money and being responsible.

While the media debates the issues or what feel are the issues, it is up to us as everyday Americans to decide what are the real issues that affect us.  Then seek out information from multiple sources and reflect on what it means for us.  It will take a sacrifice on our parts. We will have to give up our valuable time for the future health of our nation.   And then we must  vote accordingly in the fall.