Everyone in New Jersey needs a simple civics lesson

We are living through one of the most politically polarized periods of our country's history. You can blame it on the fiery rhetoric of President Donald Trump, the vitriol on social media where everybody is an expert and always right, or you can blame a good portion on an overly emotional citizenry with few facts.

We have two major parties in this country, Republican and Democratic. One party believes in limited government and personal responsibility, and the other believes that government has a larger role in everyone's life. There are anomalies on both sides, but that is and should be the basic difference when you choose to vote for someone.

Take the state's role in the pandemic. Some, like myself, believe the government should have limited responsibilities in dealing with the crisis: Make sure hospitals don't become overwhelmed, ensure that medical facilities have access to the latest medicines and medical information and that the public gets CLEAR and ACCURATE information about the situation.

Some believe that the state should take a more active role in dealing with the pandemic, limiting people's behavior, closing certain businesses, etc. That notion can be applied when life is on a more normal keel as well. Should the government provide income, food, shelter, etc. for people who don't have what some have determined is "enough" to live? It's that simple. When our founders created the Constitution, they wanted a limited government and never mentioned the word "democracy" in their documents. They knew it was a dangerous path to take. They studied societies from centuries back and came up with this republic. One that became the most successful and attractive to most of the world's population. That's why so many sacrificed so much to come here.

Take away the emotion and calling people Karens, Trumpsters or anti-vaxxers and listen to what people on either side have to say and decide if society would be better in either direction. That just seems too difficult these days for people to analyze the situation. It's just easier to pick the side that makes you feel better, more secure or superior and then label the other side morons. We are bombarded with information every day on social media, conventional media and conversations with colleagues and friends. But do we know enough of the facts to really understand how we think or feel?

One of the best quotes I heard recently was "what good is it to know everything, when you don't understand anything?" This applies to more people today than at any other time in history.