Letter: Do homework before you vote

Following the Kavanaugh confirmation vote, both parties are using the outcome to motivate their base to vote next month. Most of us do not have the time or resources to fully research political issues. Instead, we base our opinions on political rhetoric and sound bites that are often biased, inflammatory and just plain false.

One of the swing votes in the confirmation was that of Sen. Susan Collins. Before the vote, she spoke on the Senate floor to explain why she was going to vote “Yes.”

Thinking this would be a lame effort to appease “#metoo” women voters, I almost did not listen. However, I did listen and was greatly impressed by what many have since called an “historic speech.” Sen Collins did her homework prior to voting and showed a clear understanding of the purpose of the confirmation hearings and the need for an apolitical Supreme Court. I found her speech to be enlightening, objective and powerful.

A full transcript was published in The Atlantic and can be read at: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/10/why-susan-collins-voting-brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court/572341/

Whether you liked the outcome of the hearings or not, I highly recommend you read her speech, then decide who you want to represent you in Congress.