"A nation that expects to be ignorant and free, expects what it never was and will never be."  -Thomas Jefferson

It amazes me how passionate people are over this upcoming presidential election.  Really, it's refreshing to see so many people in this country taking an active interest in politics.   However, I feel that many of the people who share in this interest do so out of something other than a careful consideration of the candidate's policies.  From my experience, people on "both sides" literally turn angry and defensive when their party's candidate is criticized, almost as if they are taking the critiques as an attack on their own personal beings.  I partially blame the media, as each "news" source struggles for dominance over a myriad of competitors, and inadvertently (or perhaps not inadvertently) polarizes the masses.  The cable news networks act as instigators to this aggression with their "tit for tat" 24-hour news cycles, "gotcha" sound bites, and talking heads that are nothing more than glorified cheerleaders.  The point I'm trying to make is that it is healthy for the citizens of a democracy to question every politician's motives and policies.  Debate over who is a better candidate should be welcomed, and not taken personally.   After all, these candidates are supposed to work for us, because we are supposed to be the ones that put them in power.  When the people of a nation make educated decisions, and think about the big picture, they maintain their independence from tyranny and oppression.  I'm only 26 years old, and I used to think that people a generation older than me were so much wiser.  Really, many of the baby boomers act like children with their "my guy is better than yours, if you don't agree, then you're just an idiot" attitude.

The past eight years have been a travesty and a huge miscarriage of justice.  It is in these times however, that our country bounces back.  If we take on the responsibility to be well informed, intelligent citizens, we will have the nation that Thomas Jefferson said we deserve.  Historically, our nation's greatest leaders have been forged in the fires of failed policy, extreme partisanship, and blatant incompetence.  When James Buchanan, our 15th president, allowed our fiercely divided country to unravel into chaos... who other than Abraham Lincoln would have been able to pick up the pieces and unite us as one again?  Since 9/11 we have been in darkness, while our leader failed us miserably by using the weapon of fear to pursue a personal agenda.  At times I felt alone and voiceless as I watched our civil liberties being stripped away with ridiculous legislation.  I lost faith in our great country, as I witnessed our bravest go into battle, making the ultimate sacrifice for the administration's selfish gain.  Well, finally for the first time in my adult life, my faith in our political system has been renewed.  This time, the people will have a voice and it will be heard!  Thanks to well-informed voters like us, our nation will have the right leader. We will have a President truly put in office by the people, and he will work for the people.

And if you haven't figured out whom I'm voting for after reading this, then you need to do some more critical thinking of your own.  Thanks for reading.