Make up own mind, then vote

I am an American. I don’t care if my president is white, black, red, yellow or any combinations of those races or colors. It doesn’t matter to me if he is Christian, Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, atheist or has any other religious affiliation — that is his/her choice. Nor do I care if the person is male, female, gay or what have you.

I do care that the person has integrity, a helluva lot of courage, and believes in freedom.

Unfortunately, we Americans are victims of that great American innovation of advertising. Advertising is generated from both Madison Avenue gurus as well as the oft-biased media. Print, radio and TV news and commentaries are lively products of our freedom of speech — sometimes with questionable integrity.

Freedom of speech, one of our most important constitutional rights, engenders both the best and worst, but it must be protected. It is imperative in this free environment that we use our own talents to sort it all out — think!

Do you want the government to be responsible for your support? Do you want to work for yourself or work for someone, a corporation, or a small business? Do you want to be represented by an organization in your employment? Do you want government medical, private insurance, or a combination of the two? What do you want for your tax dollar? Should those tax dollars be primarily local or federal? How do you feel about government debt? Will it or won’t it affect you?

Take a strong look at who best represents what you want. Don’t be sold a bill of goods. Check out the information, candidates and policies. Perhaps the advice you have been subjected to is not what you really want or truly believe. Think for yourself. Question what we must do to keep American free and to help us lead the world to a bright future.

Sort it all out first, and then vote!

Pegge Bennett

Lake Stevens

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 10: A Seattle Sonics fan holds a sign before the Rain City Showcase in a preseason NBA game between the LA Clippers and the Utah Jazz at Climate Pledge Arena on October 10, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Editorial: Seahawks’ win whets appetite for Sonics’ return

A Super Bowl win leaves sports fans hungering for more, especially the return of a storied NBA franchise.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, Feb. 11

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

toon
Editorial cartoons for Tuesday, Feb. 10

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Burke: Whistle while we work to preserve democracy

Prepare for the work of patriots with a whistle and a new ‘Manual for Keeping Democracy.’

Comment: Congress must place more controls on Insurrection Act

Calling on troops for law enforcement needs better guardrails than are now in place.

Comment: Severe winter storms aren’t refuting climate crisis

Global warming makes weather patterns more chaotic, leading to damaging winter storms as well as heat.

Trump: On immigration, Trump had right policy but still failed

His polling on the issue is underwater because of poor implementation and dismissive rhetoric.

Comment: No, tax refunds won’t fuel a ‘non-inflationary’ boom

Income tax cuts benefit high-earners the most. And most refunds will go to debt or savings.

A Sabey Corporation data center in East Wenatchee, Wash., on Nov. 3, 2024. The rural region is changing fast as electricians from around the country plug the tech industry’s new, giant data centers into its ample power supply. (Jovelle Tamayo/The New York Times)
Editorial: Protect utililty ratepayers as data centers ramp up

State lawmakers should move ahead with guardrails for electricity and water use by the ‘cloud’ and AI.

Advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities rallied on the state capitol steps on Jan. 17. The group asked for rate increases for support staff and more funding for affordable housing. (Laurel Demkovich/Washington State Standard)
Editorial: Limit redundant reviews of those providing care

If lawmakers can’t boost funding for supported living, they can cut red tape that costs time.

FILE — Federal agents arrest a protester during an active immigration enforcement operation in a Minneapolis neighborhood, Jan. 13, 2026. The chief federal judge in Minnesota excoriated Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday, Jan. 28, saying it had violated nearly 100 court orders stemming from its aggressive crackdown in the state and had disobeyed more judicial directives in January alone than “some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.” (David Guttenfelder/The New York Times)
Editorial: Ban on face masks assures police accountability

Concerns for officer safety can be addressed with investigation of threats and charges for assaults.

Don’t relax your vigilance of abuses by ICE, Trump administration

I have been afraid to write my opinion about what is happening… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.