Nation needs independents

Independent’s Day.

No, it is not misspelled — it is something I would like to see, especially with elections coming up.

I distrust politicians, both Republican and Democrat, who seem to have forgotten we are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people — not of the political party, by the political party and for the political party.

Currently, an elected official who strays from the party line, regardless of how flawed it may be, can usually kiss a political career goodbye.

My idea of an independent is neither a far right conservative nor a left-wing liberal, but a pragmatic individual who can find the right road. It should be noted that both conservatives and liberals have excellent ideas, but due to party politics never put them into action.

An independent can have the correct approach, but can come up with neither the money nor support needed to be elected. Here again it is too bad so much money is needed to do something right.

Until politics gets back on the right track to support the people who really matter, I have little or no faith in the current two-party system.

Good politicians seem to be left in the dust of the greed and power trips because, unfortunately, you really don’t vote for the individual but for the party.

Your vote is important, but if it results in more party politics as we currently see, you must think carefully.

It is time changes are made to set things back on the right course and you, as the voter, must make these changes.

No excuses: vote on Nov. 6

An online article from the PBS Newshour states that voter turnout during the 2014 midterm election was only 36.4 percent, the lowest in 70 years.

After talking to several people about this issue, I’d like to comment on two excuses I recently heard for not voting.

The first comes from a sincerely religious person. Apparently there exists a view that what happens on this earth is not important and therefore focusing on the “next life” is all that matters. The problem with this philosophy is that it ignores the suffering that religion typically seeks to reduce.

For example, in the United States, the lack of access to affordable health care causes additional suffering for many individuals facing health issues and financial hardships. If religious individuals want to reduce suffering, they can go to the polls and vote for leaders who share their concerns. All Americans need access to affordable health care.

The second excuse is, “I don’t have time to research who the best candidate is.” Please consider that there is no perfect candidate since they are all human and fallible. Before election day, newspapers like The Beaufort Gazette and The Island Packet do the hard work of gathering information about each candidate and any issues on the ballot. Doing just a little reading before voting shouldn’t be too much to ask of any citizen.

Watch out for this identity theft on Social Security

Last year, criminals hijacked into the Equifax credit bureau and stole critical financial data on an estimated 150 million Americans, including names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth. I was one of those unfortunate individuals. The stolen data was then sold on the black web to other criminals.

I’m 80 years old and depend on Social Security. Last month, using my name, Social Security number, and date of birth, criminals opened an online account with the Social Security Administration. Then they changed the mailing address on file and arranged to divert my Social Security benefits to a different bank account.

Luckily, I was informed of the new online account by the Social Security Administration and the online file was blocked before any loss of funds. An SSA agent told me this has happened to many other people. But I haven’t read any media accounts of this crime.

This could happen to anyone who receives, or is eligible to receive, Social Security benefits. You can prevent this by opening your Social Security online account before a criminal does so. Please warn people of this potential threat.