Fairness, community, complete. Those are parts of the process for most of us in the journalism business, except for the minority who wield a disjointed, extreme, political view, and shed the idea of balance and propriety. Mainstream journalistic endeavors seek to provide the full scope of activities, in print and online (The Voice and thevoice.us). We want interaction and discussion. The scope of information among our communities’ residents vary in a wide range. Some of us form opinions without full information.
We at The Voice offer our best in information and in opinion pieces. We do not insist in creating a specific culture of opinions for our readers. We want our readers to reach conclusions based on information available. One item is evident. Many of us either did not have the benefit of civics classes in school, or, had no interest. Many years ago civics classes were required in eighth grade. That requirement no longer exists.
There lacks a specific understanding of the three branches of the U.S. government and their functions. We must understand more than we do as a society to make strides. It is not understanding in specific political parties that is lacking, however, in the basic governmental functions, national, state, district, and community. We can do better. We must do better in true understanding of the issues, the candidates, and what they mean to our lives to improve our future as a nation, as a community, and individually.
• As a side note, yet, of importance, we have information within the race for governor of Illinois which will be on the mid-term elections ballots Tuesday, Nov. 8, or in early voting. Early voting will begin in October and voting by mail is available. Too many factions seek to read into a style of voting or a method of voting as an advantage for one candidate, or, another candidate. We long have been an advocate in this corner that the vast majority of those who work in elections do so both as a profession and as dedicated, non-partisan, citizens.
• This week in The Voice we report on activities of both State major party political parties for reader information and not as an advocate for either candidate. We include more information on JB Pritzker, Democratic Party candidate because he is the governor and is more newsworthy. He will be at the Aurora Township Democrats’ salute to labor at noon Saturday, Sept. 10 at IBEW Local 461, 591 Sullivan Road in Aurora. Those who seek to end his term of office likely would turn to Darren Bailey, the Republican Party candidate. Bailey was in Monday’s Naperville Labor Day parade, which is good politics. He is from the small town of Xenia, south of Effingham.
JB Pritzker is from Chicago. Xenia is a population of less than 500. Qualified candidates can come in all sizes, shapes, and regions. Certainly there was initial resistance to Abraham Lincoln, the man from the prairie when he first ran for office in the early 1850s. We have two mainstream choices, Democratic, Republican. They join long enough to keep all other parties from rising. We are hampered because of it.