Approaching November

As November 2018 draws nearer, I'm thinking about the lessons learned from November 2016.

Fundamentally, the 2016 election should have been seen as a wake up call to both political parties.  Money and insults flowed from the leading candidates, and it turned off the voters who stayed home in droves.

The flow of power should come from the other direction. It should be that the politicians and government leaders listen to the public first rather than use power and money to twist opinions to serve their own interests.

Instead, the politicians told (yelled at) people what to think rather than listen to the average person. The election came down to a bitter battle between the "never this" and the "never that." The average voter in the middle kept being asked to be against something.

But it is better to be FOR something than AGAINST something. So, when you vote, you should know what you are for. Use your vote to take positive action. Choose leaders who are willing to listen  and find solutions.

Accuracy

I've been writing a book for the past few years. It's a complicated book about a disease dogs suffer from called canine distemper.

Experts and professionals who have been involved in this story have been reviewing the manuscript to make sure it is fair and accurate. One professor sent me back his comments and corrected me about his job title.

After I sent my thanks in reply, what I wrote seemed to apply in so many other situations in life:

"Thanks for correcting the mistake on your title. It's important to get the facts straight. I'm an old fashioned newspaper reporter, and to me credibility flows from getting the small details right. If you don't get the small details right, how can someone trust you with anything bigger?"