The left yells bigot, racist and sexist. The right retorts: liar, elitist and more of the same. How do we drown out the white noise and make the best decision for the country?

Presently, our country is in debt to the sum of 19 trillion dollars. I can’t even fathom what that number represents. Let that sink in for a moment. The amount of debt was already high, but this president has nearly doubled the national debt in two terms.

They tell us that the unemployment rate has come down, but do not count those that quit looking for work or the underemployed. Homicides have actually dropped, while gun sales have surged.

We are in an extreme battle with ‘Radical Islam.’ Attacks happen around the country and world at a level that people are becoming either numb to or enraged by.

We have become a nation at odds, more divisive than any time over the last 30 years. How did this happen?

  Donald Trump defeated a field of over 15 candidates, including establishment republican nominees and anti-establishment Constitutionalists like Rand Paul and Ben Carson. Like him or hate him, he received more primary votes than any other republican candidate, ever.

  Some argue that superdelegates stole the democratic nomination from  socialist Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton got the nod.

  Do a web search on Venezuelan socialism. This is just one of the latest socialist failures around the world. These people are rioting because they don’t have food to eat. Murder is rampant. There is chaos and everyone is suffering, despite being a country rich in crude oil.

Free things are nice. Investing in students and everyone sharing the riches of the land sounds like a utopia. When everyone has the same regardless of effort, competition dies. No one strives to better themselves and no one pulls their weight. Inflation suffocates society and everyone hurts. Nothing is free. Someone pays for every ‘free service’ in America.

Great Britain just broke away from the European Union. This could send massive global waves crashing on to lands across the world.

The time to open your eyes is now. I cannot tell you who to vote for in this election. It would not matter if I did. Most people have become so politically polarized, they can only hear the argument of their side. Others have just completely tuned out the news completely because it’s only ‘bad news.’

Pay attention in your history classes. Open your eyes and watch the news. Figure out what is really happening. Yes, that means to watch, read and listen to both sides. Opposing media outlets will attack the other presidential candidate. Usually there is at least a little truth to each side and the actual truth is somewhere in the middle.

Take for example, the belief that Trump is a sexist, hates immigrants and mistreats women. He actually is married to an immigrant and advanced the careers of many women in his businesses when it was an unpopular thing to do. Clinton has had no qualms with accepting millions and millions from countries that treat women like animals. People say that Clinton is a liar, but other outlets say she is the most fundamentally honest candidate.

   We the people deserve a good leader. However, if we only look for ‘free things’ and candidate relatability, we are doomed. This makes the debate process easier for both parties. We need to make each side lay out concrete policy. We need to see if their heart is in the best place for America. We need to see if their pockets are lined with corporate money and an informed public forces accountability of both parties.

   Possible revolution is in the air. People are angry and they are looking for answers. Now is not the time to put your head in the sand or sit on the sidelines.