Ignorance and widespread corruption are major threats to our way of life

The true enemy of our democracy is the corruption permeating our society. A democracy can only thrive and survive if it has an educated and knowledgeable electorate willing to make ethical choices for the greater good.

We no longer have such an electorate.

Too many Americans have lost confidence in our governmental agencies. The FBI, IRS and many others have demonstrated questionable behaviors, with no consequence.

Anyone who has any ability to determine legal and or ethical behavior can see many politicians and operatives are corrupt. Lying to the electorate is commonplace and acceptable in today’s politics. The blame for this lays squarely at the feet the electorate, which tolerates the corruption.

Parents who do not teach their children ethical behavior to assure that their children are able to make informed and reasoned decisions on their own fail them and our democracy.

Educators who do not teach their students, on all levels, to question and evaluate information from every perspective, add to the corruption.

An educator who teaches students to be intellectually honest and reach conclusions on fact, not emotion or hearsay, is doing the students a great service. When an educator discourages open and honest debate or promotes a particular ideology or political opinion to the exclusion of opposing views, the students, and by extension our democracy, are corrupted.

The major media sources have become a propaganda machine for their chosen political party. Reporters and editors have become so corrupted and biased to one party it is hard to remember if they were ever impartial and pursued the truth. Without honest and reliable reporting on all issues by the media, there can be no democracy. Cherry picking stories to publish while ignoring those that go against the chosen political party is corruption, comparable to taking a bribe.

We the people, the electors of our government, have the solemn duty to inform ourselves of the issues and facts and make decisions based on sound reasoning and consideration of all the challenges facing our country.

Failure to do so is the greatest threat to our democracy.

The writer lives in Myrtle Beach.

This story was originally published November 26, 2016 at 2:27 PM with the headline "Ignorance and widespread corruption are major threats to our way of life."