I am going to ask a really dumb question to start this blog, “Have you ever looked at what is happening here in politics in America and wondered ‘How did we get here?’” I know that is a ridiculous question because we are all scratching our heads and wondering “What the heck is going on?” I am shocked, appalled and disgusted all rolled into one. I am saturated with the news coverage pounding us with Trump, every minute and every second. Seriously he doesn’t have to spend campaign funds because he has the media holding on to his every word and pushing him in our face every single day. Quite brilliant on his part, in that he has manipulated and maneuvered his way into being in the forefront at every step. But that is all he is brilliant at. He is a horrible person who has unleashed a rabid, hateful following of people who have been waiting for that one person who would speak to what they have carried in their hearts for so long.

I hear so many people around me say all the choices are so bad they are just not going to vote for anyone of them. Or they will say they will vote for the lesser of all the evils. Sad, isn’t it? I feel like I have been highjacked as a citizen and am being force fed empty and dangerous rhetoric and frightening threats on what they will do to make America great again. And the choices of candidates makes me sad.  Speaking of “Making America Great Again”…do you ever wonder what that encompasses from people who would follow a hateful, racist, maniac?  Certainly not an America I want to see.

I really do not believe I have 8 months more left in me of listening to this ignorance and overkill of false promises. I am tired and sickened and totally repelled by politics, as I am sure many of you are. But I do not believe in burying my head in the sand or of escaping to a faraway island just to get away from it. Because bottom line is, it will be here when we wake up or when we get back.

So how can we live responsibly and go forward these next 8 months? Here are a few suggestions:

• Make sure you are registered to vote and all your “i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed”. It is no joke how Voter ID laws have been put into place to suppress voting instead of enhancing it. And if you are registered, make sure your family and friends are too. Ask them if they are registered, volunteer to take them to register, and sign up in your local communities to help seniors and others ensure their votes will count.
• Participate in each and every primary election in your area. You may feel that only voting for the President is important. But we have certainly seen what an oppositional Congress and Senate can do to impede the President. And we have seen what staying home from the polls does in terms of putting some undesirable people into office, all because voter turnout was apathetic.
• Exercise your right to vote. Vote early. Vote absentee. Or vote the day of, but just do it. If you do not vote, you have in essence voted for the opposite candidate.
• Pray that God will guide you to choose responsibly. It is your vote and your choice. Use it wisely.

Those are the best things you can do to prepare and carry out your civic duty and responsibility as a citizen. All of the rest….let it go. Don’t be bombarded. I really don’t believe we need another debate; another campaign promise; or another TV interview. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be intimidated and turned off. Recognize that the media is going to whip things into a frenzy and keep us all anxious and appalled at the candidates. It is called sensationalism and it is their marketing tool. Make up in your mind who best represents what you look for in a leader and make your one vote count. Turn off the TV, reconnect with friends and family without politics dividing us, and just enjoy life.

Voting is a right and it is a privilege that too many have been denied or lost their lives to exercise. And when you have done those things, sit back and see where we go next.