Editor’s note: Due to a typesetting error, the words “for government” were left out in this Adolf Hitler quote in the second-to-last paragraph, “What great fortune for government that the people do not think.”

As I contemplate the upcoming election, I am reminded of all the men and women, alive and dead, who bought my ticket to freedom by picking up a gun and going to war. I’m reminded of the slaves who were ripped away from their homes and families, forced to leave their own countries in order to build ours. Millions died as a result.

I pay tribute to the women of the suffragette movement who were willing to do whatever it took, including die, to insure that I would be able to exercise my rights as a woman in a very male-dominated society. We have arrived at this moment in history by swimming in the rivers of blood, sweat and tears shed by people the world over. Americans are not the only people who have paid dearly for the freedom we enjoy in this country. In order for humans to survive, we took what we needed as we began to migrate across the earth. We killed not only to get it, but also to keep it.

When you cast your vote in this election, it won’t matter whether you are Republican, Democrat or any other. It won’t matter whether you are black, white or green. It will not matter whether you are male, female or undecided. It will only matter that you have made an effort to gain an understanding of the truth. If you expect that truth from a politician, you will undoubtedly be disappointed. A quote from Socrates seems to sum it up: “I was really too honest a man to be a politician and live.”

Lying is nothing new when it involves politics. What is quite disturbing is the blatancy of these lies an the willingness of the American people to slap some jam on ‘em and eat ‘em right up. We need to be more aware of hidden agendas disguised as truth.

Our freedom is absolutely dependent on our education. Many slaves paid the ultimate price as a result of learning to read. Slave owners realized they could not control an educated populace. Read a few books about the early development of our country. Learn about the support given to Hitler by our government and some of the wealthiest men in America. Discover the truth about the oil and drug cartels and the influence of capitalism around the world. Be aware of any who claim to be capable of engineering world peace. There will be no true peace until the Prince of Peace returns. His name is Jesus.

I urge you to ponder the words of Adolf Hitler: “What great fortune for government that the people do not think.”

These dark words seem to have taken on new life, and have never been more relevant since the day they were spoken. Be vigilant.

Fran Zwonitzer has lived 16 years in Homer and moved here from Colorado.