There’s an old phrase about opinions, they’re like assholes, everyone has one, and it stinks. Well, when it comes to politics, we Americans are charged with the task of giving our opinions on a group of assholes.
Now I am not one of these self-important “journalists” who is going to walk off my job because a newspaper refused to endorse a candidate. I am just an average Massachusetts resident that has a few choices to make tomorrow at the polls. My opinion isn’t worth any more than anyone else’s because I bought a URL a few years ago that allows me to make my thoughts public. I am not a political person really, I just thought I’d share my thoughts on what has been quite an interesting election season.
So if you decide to keep reading, know that all of what is written below is my opinion. If you agree with me, great. If not, that’s great too. I am happy to have a conversation about anything I wrote here. I actually enjoy having conversations with people who disagree with me. It makes life interesting, and you can learn a thing or two. I also urge all who are reading this to do their own research and come to your own conclusions on all of this stuff.
Another quick disclaimer, being a teacher, I feel it is important that people in positions of power over students don’t force their political leanings onto those students. It simply isn’t ethical and can be very harmful to students. There is a vocal minority of my colleagues who don’t agree with this, but that’s a different conversation for a different day.
Ok. FInally. All of that being said, let’s dive into this.
I happen to live in Massachusetts, so I am going to go through the questions on the ballot and, yes, the presidential race and tell you my thoughts, opinions and where I will be voting on all of them. Not that y’all will know I will do it, but I also reserve my right to change my opinion based upon any new information. So here it goes. Let’s start with the ballot questions.
Question 1: State Auditor’s Authority to Audit the Legislature
Unlike a lot of people who give their opinions on these questions, I’ll admit, I truly don’t care what happens on this one. To be quite honest, I didn’t even know that the state’s auditor didn’t oversee the legislature. It’s kind of the weird part about how our government is run. There are checks and balances that overlap each other and there always seems to be a gray area of who is watching who.
Not sure about the rest of you, but I just feel like the people in power in a state should be the first people we keep an eye on. I mean, they have the ability and willingness to give themselves raises and change laws that directly impact them. I like to think most of these people will at least do ethical things, but then I think about what I would do if I was able to give myself more money…It’s probably a good idea to have the auditor oversee the legislature.
I am voting YES on this one.
Question 2: Elimination of MCAS as High School Graduation Requirement
You know how I told you I wasn’t an expert on the last question and won’t pretend to be? Well, I actually think of myself as an expert on this one. Having worked in and around education since I was fifteen years old, and holding an advanced degree in education, my thoughts on this one should be taken at least relatively seriously.
The MCAS is your typical standardized test that, as of now, any student that wants a public school diploma must pass. As a matter of fact, I myself had to pass these tests to graduate. This was fine for me. I happen to be a fantastic test taker. It’s all about test taking strategy, which can be taught and replicated. That’s really the issue with the MCAS tests as a whole. They don’t really test whether you know or can apply the content. They measure whether you can take a test. Not only that, but the creators of the MCAS tests put what I’ll call “tester” questions that students are expected to get wrong. Why would you put questions on a test that is required for students to graduate, that you know they’re going to get wrong? All that measures is that you can write a question nobody can answer.
Putting the ineptitude of the test to one side, let’s think of this from a realist point of view. If we are going to require students to pass the MCAS, regardless of what they do in school, then who are we to require them to even go to school? If a student can pass the test, then by the state’s definition, they are ready to graduate. No school needed. Obviously, that’s a simplistic way to think about it, and most normal people think some kind of school is very important. Although, it is hard to argue with this logic.
Now I hope if you think I’m wrong on this one, then I urge you to read this part carefully. I am not for getting rid of standardized tests. Like I said above, I myself do very well on them. I am also very aware that there are students who can use them to prove what they know. But it shouldn’t be the end all be all. That’s just junk science.
Let’s use football as an analogy here. Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes are both very very good players. But they are very different players. Brady has the mobility of a flag pole, whereas Mahomes runs around and finds unique ways to score points. Even with their differences, they are both incredibly successful. The same goes for learning. People just learn in different ways. It doesn’t mean one way is better than any other, it just means it’s different. If a student can prove their knowledge by taking a multiple choice test, fantastic. If a student can prove their knowledge by completing projects in school, fantastic. There are so many ways to demonstrate what you know, why should we pigeonhole everyone to do the same thing? That’s like telling every quarterback to stand in the pocket and just throw the ball. That works for Brady, but not for everyone.
I am voting YES to eliminating the MCAS as a graduation requirement.
Question 3: Unionization of Transportation Network Drivers
Ok, I’ll admit it, I am thinking purely of myself on this one. This is the question that would allow rideshare drivers to unionize. As a blind citizen, I obviously can’t drive my own car. I’m lucky enough to have a wife, family and friends who are more than happy to cart my sorry ass around. But in those situations where I can’t scrounge up a ride, I use rideshare apps to get where I need to go. The unionization of the rideshare workers will drive the prices of the rides I sometimes have to use up.
Not only that, but I have a very negative opinion of unions thanks to the Mass Teachers Association screwing me over, twice, and actually attempting to harm kids during the Covid pandemic. Whether that’s fair to other unions or not, it’s just the way I feel. Unions started as a great thing during the workers revolution of the late 1800s and early 1900s, but they are overinflated cash cows for those in charge of them now.
It may seem incredibly selfish, but I am voting NO on this one. I am not spending
Question 4: Limited Legalization and Regulation of Certain Natural Psychedelic Substances
I think we are seeing a whole new world take shape when it comes to certain “drugs” in this country. Marijuanna is legal in Massachusetts, and it hasn’t turned the state upside down lille some thought it might. This question is right along those lines. Naysayers are trying to scare uninformed voters that people will be high on hard drugs running around terrorizing communities. That’s just simply not the case.
Certain psychedelic drugs like mushrooms have been proven to ease symptoms of depression and other mental health illnesses under medical supervision. This question would allow those substances to be used in purely a medical setting. Not only do these substances help ease symptoms, they can prevent patients and sufferers from self-medicating with other, more dangerous, drugs or alcohol to help them.
That’s why I am voting YES on this one.
Question 5: Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees
I am a notorious;y stingy tipper. You really have to earn it if you’re a waiter. So when I first read this one I was all for it. Then I spoke to wait staff, restaurant owners and other customers. What I understand is that if this one passes, it will drive up prices, limit how much staff can be hired, and hurt those who are working. Again, I may be a little selfish, but this one is a no-brainer.
I am voting NO on this one.
President: (D) Harris/Walz (R) Trump/Vance
I’ll start this one by saying my Presidential voting record is perfect. I am undefeated. The first one I vored in was 2016 and I went with Trump. Then, in 2020, I was a one issue voter and I voted for Biden to hopefully end the Covid nonsense. I was right, but I got more than I bargained for. This year, the deep division of this country is again on full display.
I know everyone says this, but I’m not huge on either candidate here. Trump is unhinged and Harris is such a phony even I can see it. Not only that, but both VP candidates are creepy. But I’m not going to play the fence and not pick one, or just take the copout and vote for one of these third party candidates and throw my vote away.
So here’s what I am going to do. I am going to vote for Donald Trump. Here’s why: We have had 4 years of Biden/Harris and in my opinion, things have gotten worse economically. Everything is more expensive and that hurts me personally. I think I’m in lock step with a lot of Americans on that point. Adding to that is the current situation at the border. Do I think building a big, dumb, expensive wall keeping everyone out is the solution, no. But just opening the floodgates and letting everyone poor in isn’t the solution either. Just like anything, the solution is the middle. But the current administration is seemingly ignoring reality. As all of us know, ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away. Finally, comes my common sense reasoning. Kamala Harris said that she would do nothing different than Biden. Well then, in my opinion, voting for her is voting for the status quo. They had 4 years to do something, and things have gotten worse. It is time to try something else. Doing the same thing expecting different results is the definition of insanity.
Not to mention, but if Trump wins, and does terribly, he’s out. The next election will be Trumpless and we can try again with someone else. But in reality, my presidential vote doesn’t matter all that much. Harris is going to win Massachusetts and will get all of the Electoral College votes.
So there they are. All of my opinions and where I’m voting. I’m sure a lot of you will disagree with me and I welcome that. I insist that you look into these issues and make your own informed choice. Good luck at the polls folks.
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