PUBLISHER'S NOTE

So, the election is over.  All but a few seats in the House are decided as of this writing.  The comments from people who have shared their reactions about the Trump victory come to mind.  One side is ultimately depressed and worried, the other ebullient and hopeful.  What should be clear to everyone, however, is how divided our country has become.  How did we get this way?

Both the Democratic and Republican parties have fewer and fewer members within their ranks. Most voters reside in the Independent or Unaffiliated camps where in many states with restrictive primary election rules, like Connecticut, they have no say over who the candidates will be.  According to Pew Research Center, 4 out of 10 voters are Independent. USA FACTS (usafacts.org) states that of registered voters, only 47% have declared a party affiliation. As of September 2024, 36 million voters are registered Republicans and 45.1 million are registered Democrats. The reasons for that are numerous, but in the end, extreme elements dominate both parties, leaving pragmatic centrists to choose the lesser of two objectionable alternatives. Unfortunately, that calculus is often based on misinformation and disinformation, as unbiased, verified facts can be hard to come by. As responsible citizens we should be demanding honest discourse from our candidates, but what I see too often in both parties is an inability or an unwillingness to do that.  And that leaves many Americans who are struggling; out in the cold. 

Whatever happens in this next administration,  we need to do a better job of talking to each other.  We all have members in our social circles, families, acquaintances who have different viewpoints from our own.  This is America.  We get to do that.  But can’t we find a way to get back to the center where most of us live?  Can’t we focus on the most critical issues and resolve them with intelligent discourse of the facts in lieu of bluster and hate? 

Can we come together to decide on the most important issues and compromise to reach a mutually acceptable way forward? Frankly, I have my doubts. But for there to be any chance of ever building broad consensus again, we need to start with a foundation of unbiased, verified facts.

Whatever your vote was, let us not take our eyes off the ball here.  Read, watch, listen to the news – the most respected sources- so that we have the facts; not rumor, not pundit talk, not inflammatory rhetoric…FACTS.  Here are some of those sources:  Reuters, NBC News, AP,  UPI to name a few.  There are also 2 news sites that show both sides of issues and rate other news sources based on their biases—Ground News and Real News No Bullshit (RNNBS). USAFACTS.org presents nothing but factual data on the most critical questions facing our nation.

It’s a tall order, but for America to understand what is truly going on, we’re going to have to start by cutting the cable news addiction. While the formats, presentations, and personalities of these programs reinforce the views people already hold they cannot claim to be unbiased news and as they are  burdened with filling up 24 hour cycles of programming, they resort to filling it with pundits, speculation, exaggeration and opinions…not facts. And while we are at it, it would be helpful to avoid getting news from social media outlets.  America needs better than that. Much better.  Because it’s going to be a bumpy ride for the foreseeable future.

Leya L. Edison

Publisher