Lately we have seen an influx of activists promoting “term limits.” I’m sure these activists only have the welfare of our country in mind with such a radical deviation from our traditional election process, and they have no alternative motive — such as getting rid of the opposition’s strongest adversaries.

Be that as it may, I’m not so sure we want our country’s laws and regulations crafted by a majority of apprentices.

One finds with age we see that beneficial decisions tend to be made utilizing long-term logic as opposed to short-term emotion.

The fact is, we already have “term limits” with one exception … today it is called the “The Ballot Box.” However, what we do lack are, “Well Informed Voters.”

We pay more attention to what we’re getting when we purchase a new Smart Phone than we do our representatives.

For example, would you buy a new Smart Phone without doing some research on its reliability, to see if it is competitively priced, to see how the quality of its picture and sound compared to others brands? Or would you purchase a TV that only has anti-Christian and anti-Jewish channels to select from? I would hope not.

There is a high probability the majority of voters know little or nothing about many of the candidates they vote for. An election is often won by such obscure reasons, such as: whoever has the most signs wins; having your name first on the ballot is said to have an advantage among the uninformed voters;, a candidate’s last name is the same as a local prestigious family or celebrity (even if unrelated); another advantage is to have an easy American name to pronounce as opposed to a foreign-sounding one.

Psychological studies in various levels of schools have shown attractive teachers are perceived by students to be more intelligent than their less-attractive counterparts (don’t let looks fool you). And finally, as we have just witnessed, press releases based on unfounded accusations of racism or sexual improprieties will often affect the end results. Silly? Sure. However, to the uninformed voter it all seems logical. Remember, anyone can make false accusations, the real question is: do you really want a person who uses that kind of “Dirty Tactics” to be in charge of your future?

The least known candidates in any political contest are always the judges, Why? Because they are nonpartisan or, simply speaking, judges are not supported financially by any party, consequentially, judges’ campaigns are totally funded from their personal accounts or financed by donations of their own making. Judges, in my opinion and of many others, are more important than many of the legislators we elect. For instance, North Carolina Amendment 1, (the so called Marriage Amendment) — the amendment did not prohibit domestic partnership agreements, but defined male–female marriage as “the only domestic legal union” considered valid or recognized in the state.

On May 8, 2012, North Carolina voters approved the amendment, 61 percent to 39 percent, and with a voter turnout of 35 percent. North Carolina state law had already defined marriage as being between a man and a woman prior to its passage. The amendment was found unconstitutional in the 4th District Federal Court that covers Virginia, North and South Carolina, on October 10, 2014. And to add insult to injury, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to even hear the case.

The 4th District has a reputation for rendering liberal decisions in the past. This one event, in itself, is the main reason we need to study a judge’s past decisions or rely on those that we trust to properly guide us before we vote.

Don’t like the direction your country, state, county or city is taking? Then change your leaders, but don’t change just for the sake of change alone. As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Identify an area of government that needs to be managed more efficiently, and then decide who is the best qualified individual for that job. And above all, don’t confuse popularity with intelligent management. Popularity is largely based on visual and emotional conclusions while intelligent management consists of decisions based on logic, facts and data. For instance, if you have continuing problems with above average county taxes and your county commissioners keep buying “Wants” instead of “Needs,” your might find a new candidate with a heavy financial background as a replacement.

Above all, “Read and Study” before you vote.

Mark Schenck is the Republican Party chairman in Scotland County.

https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_MarkSchenck.jpg