Are Jackson Voters Smart or Gullible? Letter to the Editor, Mark Ballinger, Sylva Herald

To the Editor:

Here we are, less than a month from the midterm elections, and the ridiculous ads are flooding the airways. Ridiculous with candidates just stating the obvious, such as “inflation is bad.” OK, thank you for that obvious revelation, but what do YOU want to do about it!? Do you even know what’s causing it?

How about fancy catch phrases, such as “my opponent doesn’t share our mountain values.” What does that even mean? I also love the ones who attack the character of their opponent, or say that we must stop their radical agenda, without stating what that perceived agenda might be. What is it we’re supposed to fear so much?

Conversely, does anyone actually stand for something anymore? 

Why would anyone vote for a candidate who has no stance or conviction on a particular subject? How much talent or character does it take to bad mouth someone else, without saying how they could do better? Surely, Jackson County voters are not that shallow or gullible, are we?

Additionally, I agree with Tom Campbell’s column in the Oct. 6 edition about everyone not being entitled to their own facts. 

Facts are facts. They are provable, and are not an opinion poll. For example, the sky is blue, the earth is not flat and the 2020 election was not stolen. 

All provable facts.

Unfortunately, spreaders of “alternative facts” will enthusiastically vote based on made up stuff, so it’s up to the rest of us to counteract those votes based on informed decisions, not YouTube videos, quack experts on various subjects, or QAnon theories. 

I’ll bet that Jackson County voters are smart enough to not even think about basing their decisions on those sources. Who’s with me on that?

I bet that Jackson County voters can realize when they’re being lied to, or simply not being offered a choice based on a stance, with a coinciding action plan.

I also agree with Tom Campbell in that we can’t just dismiss the spreaders of disinformation (lies) as kooks to be laughed at, because they will vote and prevail. We must be smart and vote in overwhelming numbers to be sure we’re governed by people who know the difference between fact and fiction. Otherwise, our democracy will be lost forever.

Mark Ballinger, Sylva