Skin Color and the Election

Political Polls are promoted in the news media every day as an election nears and this year the media is saying that one candidate has a 5% lead as this article is being written, but suppose that when people are contacted to give their opinion they don't tell the truth on purpose. If this happens they can create the impression that a particular candidate is the underdog when in truth they are not. This then gives the supposed "underdog" a chance to spout a whole new range of comments and there may be some people that like voting for the "underdog" thinking that there must be some value in promoting them to a higher position. It is unlikely that all voters would admit to being affected by "race", "religion" or some other similar factor and might not tell the truth when asked if "skin color" matters to them in an election choice.

Some people will outright tell you that they are prejudiced and at least they are open about this and you know better what to expect. Some people have such feelings, but are able to get past them through logical and critical thinking. Some people simply keep it to themselves and you may never know. It is extremely important that we vote and that we have a priority of values that is appropriate. We probably all basically agree that we should vote on the basis of what is best for the country, on the basis of who is the best qualified, who is able to lead in the right direction and who is going to make the best decisions. Other factors should not be important unless they actually affect the leadership process.

It requires effort to get past some issues like "skin color" and other factors. When we actually vote we are making a statement that I hope will move us to select the "best person" no matter what other factors could possibly be considered. Skin color is a genetic trait and does not affect the intelligence and ability of an individual. Skin color has affected the ability of some groups of individuals to have access to "equal" opportunity to reach their full potential. The United States took in vast numbers of different people creating a great cultural mix that enriches us all by the diversity. The very essence of our society is freedom to reach our true potential regardless of our background.

We also need to impose more "truth" in our society. A great deal more study needs to be done on how people answer questions about their political choices to get a better indicator of the validity of the data collected. This particular election gives us a unique opportunity to look at the collection of data on the issue of "skin color" and the effect on an election.