Elections Coming Up

Elections come soon in the United States. There are many local, state, and Congressional seats up for grabs, but people focus on the presidential election. As a matter of propriety, I will not tell you how to cast your vote; you should be smart enough to do that yourself. However, I will put out a few things to think about.

The main thing to think about is that you should not rely on advertisements for your political information. Political advertisers intend to sell you on an idea. They are biased by nature. That means they will not give you a fair, balanced picture of the state of things. Please try to find reliable, unbiased sources of information before voting.

Please pay attention to the smaller elections. The people running for local and state offices can cause a lot of damage when elected. Most are OK, but you really want to be sure. The smaller offices often pay poorly, so the motivation for the people running is what they can accomplish. Make sure they aren't trying to do something you oppose.

One thing that Asatruar must watch is the power of Christian fundamentalists. Many of them run for office and try to use the position to legislate their faith. It is sad, but this is more prevalent in the Republican Party. You are free to choose your own political views, but you should probably keep this sort of thing in mind.

The main thing is to learn as much as you can and make an informed vote. Asatru is a religion that puts emphasis on community, and voting is a community obligation. Being an informed voter helps you do more good for your community. Though it is probably too late this year, you may want to look into running for office next time around. It never hurts to have Asatru people in positions of power.