That being said, I found my 6-year old's take on the election last night to be quite interesting, revealing and even shocking.
Before bedtime, Micaiah told to us that he is planning on voting for Donald Trump at his school election (obviously, his vote doesn't count...just being clear for those who get their facts from sources that suggest it might...). Liz and I both looked at each other, shrugged and in unison asked him why. He didn't have an answer right away just like most of the people taking a stand to support either candidate. Isaiah (8-years old) broke the tension, and just like Kenneth Bone, said he didn't know who he was voting for yet. We haven't talked about the election with our kids, so I took the opportunity to listen to their opinions and thoughts without inserting any of my thoughts or trying to influence them either way.
Lying next to Micaiah in bed, I asked him why he has decided to vote for Trump. As a matter of fact, his answer was "well, Hilary Clinton is going to take away all of the guns so people can't kill deer and make sausage." I asked him how he knew this and he said, "I just know..." So I asked if he knew anything about Donald Trump and he quickly replied, "Jack said he says mean things about girls."
Interesting.
Both of his claims may or may not have merit, but that's not the point. Sensationalized a bit, they're both out in cyberspace and in the news, for sure, however, I was surprised by what Micaiah had picked up on pieces of either candidate - true or not. He followed those claims with a few others that were quite alarming, but I won't write them here today because I don't want sway anyone. Many of us are concerned about our children's future following this election and I wonder how many of us have listened to what they're hearing and what they think of this entire thing.
During this brief conversation with Micaiah, I immediately thought: his rationale sounds eerily similar to the rationale of many of the adults who are planning on voting next week. His opinions of the candidates mirror many of those who are vehemently sharing opinions on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Our Commander-in-Chief will likely be decided by the same logic of a 6-year old.
One of the things that makes our election process unique is that a large percentage of voters are uninformed and uneducated on most of the issues. The truth is, most of us have a limited, at best, idea of what actually happens after the election or how politicians go about their business. I don't think that's a bad thing. Campaigns hit a few key issues and people show up at the polls, trust their gut and democracy runs its course.
"But this time it's different," people say. This is "unprecedented." It's a disgrace. A joke. Other countries are laughing at us. Really? Are you sure? Or do you just believe that 6-year old in your kindergarten class? Because by-and-large, most of us are as uniformed as Micaiah and we're getting our information about the candidates the same way he is. We're listening to others who know as little as we do. We read a post on Facebook or click a link on Twitter and it infiltrates our hearts and minds.
This year's election is completely bonkers and social media manifests all of it to the extreme, but make no mistake it's not the first time craziness has circulated the polls during presidential elections. For you own pleasure, do some research on the 1824 election and tell me that this is the first time anyone could suggest the election is "rigged." Look into the candidate Eugene Debs before we wildly claim that no one has ever ran for president surrounded by a cloud of legal trouble. Debs ran for office five times, mind you, and in 1920 he did so from prison. There's never been this much hate in politics? How about Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr? Burr killed Hamilton in a duel in 1804 (yes, with a gun) because of the 1800 election. A bias media published a newspaper headline that Thomas Dewey had defeated the "nincompoop" Harry Truman in 1948. No one gave Truman a chance, especially the media. Peaceful transfer of power...? Anyone recall what happened after one of the most important outcomes in presidential history in 1860 when Abraham Lincoln became president (Hint: Civil War)? I could go on and on and on how history has presented us with some rather bizarre presidential campaigns and elections. Yet, somehow, we're still the United States of America.
I don't do the future, so I cannot say what is going to happen to our country following November 8th. History suggests we're on a path that leads to a destination. It also suggests that a country as big and strong as the United States of America will work through the kinks and come out on the other side bigger than any of the candidates.
Is it fair to be critical of the way Micaiah is getting his election news? I think so. After all, he's only 6-years old and he's using kindergarten logic. However, if we dare to encourage an adult to consider their source(s), suddenly everyone is offended. In the end, this election will probably be defined more by how it makes everyone feel rather than the issues. Real-time news sources will continue to say "this is the first time ever..." when the reality is that this entire thing isn't very special. We're not that special and you're not that special. This isn't the "first time ever." I guess that's why I was able to take what Micaiah said with a grain of salt. I just wish others would be able to do the same.
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