Don’t go fishing for the November 5 elections

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The weather is magnificent. Many consider October to be the most pleasant month of the year.

Until now, Ocracoke, although overwhelmed by distant storms and king tides, has had no trace of the most recent hurricanes that devastated the United States, particularly western North Carolina and of Florida, in recent weeks.

But another major storm could be brewing – not in the ocean, but on the continent.

Casting fishing lines, walking on the beach or sitting on a dune to observe coastal life offer a respite from the hubbub of our daily lives and the incessant news cycles.

It would be good to continue these thoughts, but stones have been thrown into the political waters, which have had major negative repercussions on our lives, and more repercussions are looming.

Many people fear the general elections on November 5 and their consequences.

People are increasingly afraid to express their political opinions on social media and personal attacks and bullying have unfortunately become the new norm.

How much of this is due to foreign social media influencers, such as Russia, is an ongoing investigation, but there is no doubt that it is happening.

Our adversaries want to divide us and this online “Joe from Iowa” could very well be Ivan from Moscow. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become so advanced that it can not only manipulate an image, but also our perspectives.

People who get their information within their own bubble of perception and through media variations of hatred and fear do not favor measured discourse.

Something has happened to our society, and it’s not good.

We must right the ship and return our country to civility in our lively political discourse.

We can no longer rely on politicians to be the voice of common sense, provide sound advice and ensure we have good leadership.

Yes, there are elected officials who serve out of dedication to public service, but too often their voices are not heard or when they express an opinion that does not correspond to their affiliation with a political party, they are quickly threatened by opponents primaries. who will drive them from power.

Political intimidation and violence have intensified over the past 10 years, and today we are witnessing attempts on political assassinations..