How little we know, yet our voice is very big. We are the community we represent, all of us.I hear talk of everyone complaining about how their political side does it better or how the other side is awful and evil.What happened to locals sticking up for their neighbors. Don’t you think it’s enough that we see people on the state and national level belittling the other side? I hear people saying all the time that they are tired of the mudslinging and the divide.#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');But how can we sit here and say that all the while doing it to our own local neighbors?Remember the quote “be the change you wish to see.” Change doesn’t happen if you keep sticking your foot in your mouth.It changes through consistency. We all know, big media creates narratives. If we know that, why are we still falling into their trap? We all do it.I’ll give you an example of how I try to be better. Once I feel that emotion coming from the current debate, I will stop and write down the issue at hand and then both sides talking points.I will then compare those talking points to the issue and see if they even belong in the discussion or if they are just political mudslinging.I’ll then write down what I think would be a substantial-relative talking point, see which side is actually using that point and then ask myself why the other side doesn’t believe in that point.Usually, you will find the false narrative by using this method.Think to yourself, if all the people want unity, why don’t we have it?Vote with your brain, not your heart.Joe BurrellCrescent City googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });