For a while now I’ve been debating whether I should write anything about the crazy election that’s been raging in the US. After silently watching our own crazy election unfold in the UK earlier this year, I felt I had to say something in my little corner of the Internet.  

Because sometimes—most times—the person who makes the most noise isn’t right. Or even truthful. They’re just loud.

Because sometimes—often times—it is necessary to dig a little deeper to get to the bottom of an issue. Headlines and talking heads don’t hold all the answers. A little research outside of the echo chamber—and a lot of critical thinking—can go a long way.

Because sometimes—all the time—words matter. How one thinks is how one speaks, and how one speaks is how one behaves. Civility and kindness are not weaknesses. Bullying and tantrums are not leadership.  

Because sometimes—make that every time—hatred and fear, prejudice and paranoia are wrong. A diverse society and equal treatment of those who live in it should be our aim, not a point of derision.

If an underlying reason for doing—or not doing—something is because of one of these emotions, perhaps it should be re-examined, re-considered, and re-thought.  

And sometimes watching from the sidelines is the easy choice or the safe choice, but sometimes you need to take action. Americans have a chance to do that today at the ballot box and show the world that we always stand up for what’s right, for all members of society, and for the future—not an imagined or idealised past.