Change. It’s all we’ve been hearing regarding the 2008 presidential election. There is no question that this country, the good ole
Undoubtedly, on Election Day, some folks will vote for Senator Obama not because of his beliefs or plans, but because he is black. And undoubtedly, some folks will vote for Senator McCain not because of his experience or his reputation, but because he chose a woman as his running mate. Others will vote on the candidate that their friends, family members, or religious communities tell them they should vote for. Even worse, some folks will vote based solely on political party.
Of course, many individuals do take the time to research the candidates, and to sit down and watch the presidential debates. But the fact is this: most of these people are taking what they see and hear at face value. We as citizens should be in the habit of questioning everything we are told. When a presidential candidate says that we will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we should automatically ask “how?” But instead, we become advocates of presidential candidates based on superficial or uneducated reasoning. This is a fundamental problem with our country: the fact that its citizens lack the desire and ability to be critical thinkers.
Critical thinking is defined as “the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion.”[1] Therefore, critical thinking is really a process. The first step is to become educated. We should be reading information on each candidate, as well as the major issues surrounding the current election. As we read, we should consider each source and ask ourselves, “Is this source credible?” We also question the validity of all media. Once we have decided that we are learning from credible and truthful sources, we should start asking questions such as “why is this significant,” “what is the motive behind this candidate’s statements and ideas,” and most importantly, “how will this candidate follow through with these plans?”
It is this kind of thinking that should lead us to a decision on the candidate we will vote for. If citizens cannot take the time to question what they are told, or to obtain the necessary education to become critical thinkers, then they most certainly should not be rushing to the polls on November 4th.
[1] critical thinking. Dictionary.com. Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7). Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/critical thinking (accessed: October 16, 2008).
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