6.22.20: Turning off political ads on social media
Plus tsundoku, local government and actively choosing to not vote
June 22, 2020.
Good Monday Morning. Welcome back. To all the dads and other father figures, I hope you all enjoyed your special days.
We’ve got a few more questions to kick off this week, so click on the Let’s Talk button when you’re ready to get started.
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Results from June 18, 2020
Question 1: If you could turn off all political ads across all your social media platforms, would you?
An overwhelming majority. There’s a lot more to explore here.
Here’s a dispatch from Tennessee:
Being able to turn off the political ads would be a blessing. Wish I could do that on the TV. Down here they like the cult like fear based commercials. I've never met my neighbors but I'm pretty sure they heard me yelling at Marsha Blackburn ads when I moved in. Dr. Manny S [Dr. Manny Sethi] is just as bad now. (Other republican running is endorsed by trump but he just does the typical protect your 2nd amendment ones)
Yelling at Marsha Blackburn ads? Umm… Taylor Swift, is that you?
Question 2: Have you read or do you plan to read any of the books currently in the top 5 on Amazon's best seller list?
For the books questions - "meaning to read" and "have read" are substantially different questions. I have a bookshelf of "meaning to reads" (tsundoku is real...), but good intentions did not an education make.
I had to look up tsundoku, and it reminded me how wonderfully precise the Japanese language can be.
If you don’t feel like clicking the link, tsundoku is “acquiring reading reading materials but letting them pile up in one's home without reading them”.
I hope to read some of those books, but they’re currently behind the ~5 books I’ve already started and still have to finish!
5 started, 0 finished? Been there.
Question 3: A user wants to know: Are you involved in local politics / government or local civic organizations?
I briefly flirted with the idea as using this space to announce my plans to form an exploratory committee to run for Mayor of Mahwah, New Jersey.
Question 4: Another user wants to know: Deliberately choosing not to vote is...
Lots of interesting comments from those who answered “Other”, including those who…
…find it responsible,
Exercising your right to have the option to vote (and not being forced to). Also, a smart decision if you have not properly researched the candidates or laws.
…think it doesn’t achieve anything,
An ineffective and potentially dangerous way to try to teach politicians a lesson
lazy. a good number of states allow write-in votes. voice your opinion! staying silent doesn't force change
…find it understandable,
I used to think if you didn't vote, you gave up your right to complain about the state of affairs, but I can now see why some groups may feel completely disenfranchised by voting.
…are saddened by the impulse,
Neither. By the time I get to vote, there will be no candidates left for President that I don't consider to be a despicable human being. Me choosing not to vote won't be a wasted opportunity (to vote for a douchebag?) and it also won't force existing political parties to change (who are we kidding?). All it is, really, is sad.
…think it depends on the circumstances,
Either of the above, depending on whether or not the country will go to pieces if you don’t vote.
…believe it’s a personal choice that others should not get to judge,
Someone else's personal decision that I try not to get very worked up about. I disagree with it, but to each their own.
Entirely up to you for whatever reason. People can have whatever opinion they want about you not voting, but your reasons do not concern them.
…or see it as practical.
A great way to avoid being called for jury duty as long as you don’t register to vote
Question 5: On a scale of 0 (the worst) to 10 (the best), how are you feeling overall?
The Index has fallen below 7 again. We’re back to 6.9.
Hang in there, everyone.
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