Knowledge is power. We can all agree that voters having access to valuable information helps them make better decisions on the ballot. We can also agree that we live in a time where deepfakes, rampant misinformation, opinions masquerading as fact, blatant misdirection and downright idiocy surround us each and every day. Many of us have concerns about what is being taught in schools and what slant is being given to our American history. To that I ask: where is the truth?
If a voter asked you for direction on how to educate themselves on “what is the REAL truth?” What would you tell them? Where would you tell them to go for news? For U.S. History? For Civics lessons?
If once in a blue moon, a teenager was willing to admit that Tik Tok might not be providing the most accurate news, as it is owned by the Chinese Government, where would you direct them? Sure, Fox News is palatable to seasoned Republicans. But for young people, who are lost in a sea of turmoil over “what does truth even MEAN?” How would you guide them to the right path? They have their own ideas about “what is propaganda?” We’re trying to earnestly help them, not scare them away.
I ask this question because I recently did a search on my own. I was looking for a review of Basic U.S. Government: the structure, the responsibilities of each sector, and the ways that they interact with one another. To my disappointment, the Kalamazoo Public Library had nothing but documentaries about past presidents on their instant access video titles. The “Hoopla” online content they offer only had one documentary, albeit informative, about a New Jersey school teacher that ran for Congress under the “All-Day Breakfast” Party. Even Fox Nation didn’t have a basic and factual review of “what the U.S. Government does, how it does it and how the people that do it get to where they are.”
The closest thing I found was a PBS-funded program on YouTube called “Crash Course: Government” where a slaphappy liberal mentions Anarchy and the Sex Pistols twice in the first two episodes. He then proceeded to punch a toy eagle, careening him off of the desk multiple times throughout the series. Seriously, he thought slugging the eagle and pretending it’s all just a joke, all while doing impersonations of diplomats in funny accents was informative. I found it abhorrent.
Is this the only messaging we want to give our children? Even for curious but uniformed adults: is this the best we’ve got? I challenge you to email us with a list of the best documentaries, movies, books, news sources you’ve seen that truly convey our message. We want to give people a “path out of woke.” We want to guide them to discover real freedom. We can do this. Together.