Information warfare and how to enhance trust in elections
First we need to vote en masse
This election year is significant and consequential. Most years, pundits tout the election as “the most important election ever,” but that slogan doesn’t seem hyperbolic this year. Many feel that our vote doesn’t count; however, we care deeply about the trajectory of our country and want to affect change. The situation almost seems biblical. Americans are divided, which only adds to the resentment, bitterness, and sense that we are fighting each other, not the “powers that be” who are destroying the fabric of our everyday lives. We must not only vote but also encourage others to vote, perhaps provide people a ride to the polls or even organize a social event to encourage friends and family to vote.
In addition to voting, consider poll watching. People must be out observing the election process in real-time so that they can report any issues. If you are interested, please get in touch with us so we can direct you to your county contacts for volunteers. Even just a few minutes of your time may make the difference. We can instruct you on things to watch out for. You may want to check out our videos for more guidance.
https://www.scsafeelections.org/poll-observer-program/
Dis-, Mal-, and Mis-information, what is the real threat to our “democracy”
We keep hearing that Mis-, Dis-, and Mal-Information are actual threats to democracy and must be dealt with by those who have determined that they are such.
According to CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency), “Misinformation is false, but not created or shared with the intention of causing harm”. WHO gets to determine “intent” or “harm”?
“Disinformation is deliberately created to mislead, harm, or manipulate a person, social group, organization, or country.” WHO gets to decide that deliberation and
how they misled, harmed, or manipulated others?
“Malinformation is based on fact, but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate.” WHO gets to decide what is fact and the context? The answers to these questions should identify the “who” that is driving this evaluation. A better evaluation of information is whether it is TRUE or FALSE. TRUE information should be allowed to be created, spread, repeated, or published, and all without punishment or suppression. FALSE information should be allowed to be created, spread, repeated, or published, and all with the expectation that the recipient has the right to rebut, ignore, counter, and/or dismiss all false information. The 9 th Commandment (of the Ten) is about lying and bearing false witness. Both are prohibited by the Almighty. So, those who are involved in false information should know that the penalty is gonna involve extreme heat.
Our Founders knew there was a better way than to have ANYONE determining what speech is “allowed”. They enshrined this RIGHT to free speech in the First Amendment to the Constitution which says, "Congress shall make no law …abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” And yet, the mantra about protecting democracy by doing this very thing is proceeding unabated. Look around. Do you have free speech? Is there freedom of the press? Why are we allowing that right to be curtailed by those who want to restrict it? No country can ever be considered Free unless her citizens are allowed to speak freely. No one should have the right to tell them what, when, where, how, or if they can say what they want to say. No one. Any effort to suppress speech is, by definition, censorship and unconstitutional.
The next time you are told something is Mis-, Dis-, or Mal-Information, maybe you should focus on whether or not the information is TRUE or FALSE and react accordingly.
The Gold Standard team discusses how to increase trust in elections
As we approach the 2024 election, many of you will wonder what we can do to improve the process. The people need trustworthy elections. For this election, we need to overwhelm the polls so our voices are heard and votes accurately counted. Ultimately, our country must return to the basics—voting (and counting the ballots) on one day at the local precinct utilizing pen, paper, and people.
Each voter should vote by marking paper ballots hand-counted by volunteers at the precinct with bipartisan participation. The count should be completely transparent, as our South Carolina state constitution calls for the votes to be “counted in public.”
The Gold Standard team was assembled with people from multiple states (South Carolina, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, and South Dakota) to re-engineer the process. The result of all their hard work is the Gold Standard Elections Whitepaper. The team occasionally will meet to discuss various election topics. Here are some recent videos you may find interesting.
Read more by clicking the link below: