GRIZ BEAR COMMENTS: Do I vote the lesser of two evils or principle?

— How should I vote in the upcoming election? Again the question has been troubling my mind. Do I vote for the lesser of two evils? Or, do I vote my conscience?

This election may well be pivotal for our nation as our government teeters on the edge of economic ruin and is probably far closer to a total collapse than anyone cares to consider or admit. National debt soars, jobs flee to other countries, we still depend too much on foreign oil for energy, hostile governments are buying up our businesses and technology, and our military is overextended and entangled in places where it cannot truly achieve victory. I invite you to read world history and consider the signs!

Both major parties are proclaiming themselves as the right choice to bring about change and reform in Washington. But let’s be honest. I don’t see either party promoting much change or reform. Both supported government bailouts with our tax dollars and decreasing the purchasing power of the dollar you and I earn. Both promise tax relief to portions of the population - a promise neither is really able to deliver unless someone’s taxes go up or the economy begins to flourish beyond all expectations.

Long ago, I determined not to cast my vote for anyone who supports the taking of innocent human life, whether that be in the womb or out of it. Why would anyone vote for a candidate who condones or protects murder! I don’t want any part of the killing, and that pretty much eliminates a good many candidates from my consideration. And what good does it do to claim to be pro-life if a person will do nothing to stop the killing?

Many tell me that to vote outside the two major parties is a wasted vote, but how can I vote for any candidate who treats the U.S. Constitution, which he swears to uphold, with such contempt as do most majorparty officials?

How is that so? Well, which major party stands for Constitutional government - government which exercises only the power and authority delegated to it in the Constitution and leaves the rest to the peopleand to their state and local governments? Which major party is focused on protecting our nation and securing our borders rather than trying to either buy the world’s favor or police the world with our tax dollars? Which major party is truly seeking to protect human life, marriage between one man and one woman, property rights of individuals, the right to keep and bear arms for one’s defense and to return this nation to a system of laws based on Biblical moral values? Which major party is even considering ways to return to a Constitutional money system and doing away with the credit-based monetary system which is now threatening to bring about economic collapse and, maybe, much worse?

Our troubled economy will likely be the issue which most influences voters when they go to the polls. Unfortunately, many will just listen to the promises of candidates and put no thought into the matter.

Well, think about this: When I was a kid and mowed grass all summer long, I’d take a quarter with me to the station when I’d go for a gallon of gasoline - don’t you wish you could buy a gallon of gas for a quarter today? But do you know that the silver which would be in a true quarterdollar piece is worth the price of more than two gallons of gasoline today? On Monday, silver was about $34 per ounce. Wouldn’t it be nice to put eight or nine gallons of gas in the tank for a dollar? I could almost fill up my pickup truck for $2 instead of spending $85.

Think about it. What’s killing our economy is not really rising prices; it’s the falling and failing value of the dollar and our purchasing power, and that’s only going to get worse as the government continues to overspend and bail out a failed monetary system.

If I vote for major-party candidates, thinking that I may be preventing a worse evil by so doing, I am just perpetuating a government philosophy which is bringing us closer and closer to collapse, economically and militarily. After all, how can a government which continually spends more than it takes in and becomes more and more indebted to foreign banks and governmentsmaintain military might for very long?

Yes, it’s true that Americans have not elected a third-party candidate to the presidency since Abraham Lincoln, but it’s time to start voting one’s conscience - voting for what’s right rather than voting for the lesser of two evils. What good does it do to vote against one’s own conscience and compromise what’s right? It only brings about more of the same.

To quote our nation’s sixth president, John Quincy Adams, “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”

If more Americans would vote their conscience and choose what is right for America instead of compromising their integrity and choosing the lesser of two evils, it might be possible to truly change course and elect leaders who stand up for what is good and right for our nation. Even if a thirdparty candidate is not elected to a significant national office, the major parties just might have to take note of what the people are saying with their votes and change their erring ways.

Anyway, I’m planning to vote “outside the box” in November and let my true voice be heard - even if I’m alone and few are listening. I’ll be supporting Constitution Party candidates again wherever possible, even if they stand little chance of being elected, because I can agree with the party platform and values.

Will former congressman Virgil Goode be going to the White House? I doubt it, but at least I can vote my conscience and not feel I have given up all my principles in the election booth.

Since the slate of candidates I can support is always limited, I keep hoping more candidates will run on the Constitution Party platform in future elections.

And, no, I won’t tell you how to vote, except to urge you to vote your conscience rather than just voting for the lesser of two evils. Study the issues and vote for what’s really good and right for America, not for phony promises and a quick fix that will only lead America farther down the road to its demise.

Perhaps we’ve already been compromising far too long. It may already be too late to avert the disaster coming upon us.

Randy Moll is the managing editor of the Westside Eagle Observer. He may be reached by email at rmoll@ nwaonline.com.

Opinion, Pages 6 on 09/26/2012