The Big Issues In The 2012 Presidential Debates—Who Am I? Why Am I Here? What Is Reality?

The first debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama will be held this evening.

Voters merit discussion of the most important issues.

Above is a short clip of Vice Admiral James Stockdale asking the most essential questions of “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?’ in the 1992 Vice Presidential debate.

Admiral Stockdale—A Vietnam War hero—was the running mate of Ross Perot in 1992.

People made fun of Admiral Stockdale, but I’m not sure what questions are more central to how we should conduct ourselves in life. Admiral Stockdale spent seven years in a Vietnamese prison. For much of that time Admiral Stockdale was in solitary confinement.  I’m certain he had plenty of time to think in his years of confinement.  It is no surprise that a reflective leader such as Admiral Stockdale asked the most relevant questions I’ve ever heard in a politcal debate.

The excellent New Scientist  magazine has a series of articles in a recent edition that discuss the nature of reality. (You have to register with the website to read the articles.)

I think a discussion on the nature of reality would be a fine topic for the debate tonight.

In any case, after you hear the prepared answers to the predictable questions in the debate tonight—Be sure to recall that the work of freedom and creativity and of an open hopeful society is up to each of us.

Your conceptions of the work to be done will surely be informed by your ideas of who you are and what your purpose is in the world.

Everyday people are fully capable of figuring complex stuff for themselves. This is the case even though we so often seem to forget this fact in our often silly and mean-spirited society.

Everything we need to understand the world is around us and is accessible with discipline, imagination and some luck. 

Don’t let prepared answers to predictable questions define what you are going to do with your life.

If we allow our lives to be defined by prepared answers to predictable questions, we will end up cheating ourselves out of our abilities and out of our own understanding of the world.

Deadline To Register To Vote In Texas For 2012 Is October 9

Blogger’s Note—This is a repeat of a post from 2 weeks ago. I’m running it again because if people miss the deadline for voter registration in Texas it will not be due to the fact that I did not tell them. Efforts are being made to restrict  the right of people in Houston and Harris County to vote. Don’t play into the hands of those who would deny folks the most basic right of a vote on Election Day. Be sure to register while you are able and to vote in the upcoming election.)

Election Day is approaching here in Texas and across the nation.

(Above–Give apathy and inaction the boot with your participation in public affairs here in Texas.)

Election Day is Tuesday, November 6.

The Texas Secretary of State says the following about 2012 voting in Texas—

“The deadline to register and be eligible to vote in the November 6, 2012 General Election is October 9, 2012. This can be either the postmark date or the date the application is received in the office of the voter registrar. You may, of course, register at any time before that date to ensure that your registration is effective for voting in November. You can obtain a voter registration application from your voter registrar’s office, libraries, most post offices, high schools, or from this office.”

Here is the link to the State of Texas website that discusses voting requirements in Texas.

You can find information here about questions such as what do to if you have moved since you last voted or if you can vote by mail.  Many subjects are addressed at this website.

There has been a lot of talk about new identification requirements for voting in Texas.

Here is what the Secretary of State says about this concern—

To cast a ballot in person for the November 6 General Election during Early Voting or on Election Day, voters should present their voter registration card or in lieu of a voter registration card, at least one of the following:

• A driver’s license or personal identification card issued to you by the Texas Department of Public Safety. You may also bring a similar document issued to you by an agency of another state, even if the license or card has expired;
• A form of identification that contains your photograph and establishes your identity;
• A birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes the person’s identity;
• Your United States citizenship papers;
• Your United States passport;
• Official mail addressed to you by a governmental entity; or
• A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.