This semester, I am privileged to teach traditional college freshman at Cardinal Stritch University.  Many of these students are 18 to 20 years old and are very excited about voting in their first presidential election this November.  Their enthusiasm is both refreshing and contagious.

Let’s all try to remember that voting is a cherished freedom we are lucky enough to have in the United States.  Please take this responsibility seriously and carefully consider each candidate as well as the issues most important to you before casting your vote.  While this takes work and research, it is a worthy endeavor.

Consider the non-partisan quiz ISideWith.com as part of your fact-finding mission.  It’s quick and the results might surprise you.  If you are interested in sharing and discussing your results, please join the Critical Thinking in the Real World Facebook fan page.

There are many fact checking sites designed to sift through the political rhetoric for truth.  Consider PolitiFact.com.  The Washington Post, CNN and NPR also frequently post fact checks.  Don’t trust what you hear or read, investigate to find out which information can be trusted.

The best voter is an informed critical thinker.