4 Conspiracy Theories That Shouldn’t Inform Your Vote

This election has been dominated by fear ― fear of the state of the country and world as well as fear of the candidates themselves. Unfortunately, all three nominees for president are capitalizing on that fear, spreading misinformation in the hopes of confusing voters and convincing them to join their side.

As a result, the American public has become paranoid and suspicious, ever afraid of the past and future. Worst of all, many Americans have pledged to vote based on these lies and conspiracy theories.

To spread truth and achieve justice, I present today a list of the most notable conspiracy theories that many Americans believe today. Knowledge is power ― if only because an informed vote is a correct vote.

Military Exercises Precede Martial Law

In its most basic definition, martial law is the administration of the government’s will on the people through military force. In theory, martial law is a terrifying prospect; after all, a primary reason we have a government is to avoid the violent enforcement of any ideal. Yet, voters on both the far left and far right are constantly afraid of martial law, especially when they see the military performing exercises.

In fact, true martial law has rarely been enacted in America’s history, and since the late 19th century, it has been almost outlawed. Contrary to popular belief, New Orleans was never under martial law during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, though federal forces were sent to provide humanitarian relief, something Dana Perino can speak to as she was the deputy press secretary under President Bush at the time. Meanwhile, military groups perform training exercises with increasing frequency ― not as a prelude to impending martial law but because they need to practice their responses to keep America safe.

Common Core Cripples Child Education

If you don’t have kids, you might not realize it, but the past few years has seen a revolution in public school education. Today, most students learn in accordance with the Common Core State Standards, which works to ensure all kids receive comparable educations in math and language. However, a portion of voters ― generally irate at the government’s interference with education ― tends to believe that Common Core is a government conspiracy to indoctrinate children with dangerous ideologies, like communism, globalism, and more. Another theory suggests Common Core is intended to collect data on the population which the government can use or sell.

Actually, Common Core fails to mandate any one curriculum or test whatsoever; rather, it provides examples of material that students should be able to understand at particular grade levels. It should go without saying that Common Core does not push any particular lifestyle onto children ― save, perhaps, an educated one. Yet, many states that initially ratified Common Core are beginning to question their choice thanks to these radical conspiracy theorists, which spell danger for public schools if you believe the conspiracy during the upcoming election.

Sharia Law Will Infiltrate Courtrooms

If you ask the average American to explain Sharia Law, most will tell you that it is a dangerous Islamic edict that compels Muslims to lie, cheat, steal, and wage war. Most believe that Sharia is some kind of criminal code that enforces strict punishments on certain behaviors, particularly for women and non-believers. In fact, many Americans firmly believe that Sharia Law will soon be the law of the land, thanks to crafty Muslims who have worked subversively to sneak it into our courtrooms.

In fact, Sharia Law does none of those things. Rather, Sharia is a moral framework that Muslims use to live healthfully and honorably according to the teachings of the Qur’an. For the most part, Sharia outlines responsible and “good” behavior ― which, notably, does not include killing others ― but the texts do include legal injunctions for certain actions. However, according to the Constitution, religion is completely separate from the state, which means Sharia Law, an inherently religious document, can never supersede American laws. You should have no fear of Sharia Law influencing the courts; in fact, the opposite, anti–Sharia Law, is more likely to be an issue in coming years.

Climate Change Isn’t Happening

Unless you are in particular regions of the Southwest, you probably don’t see vast tracts of sandy desert when you look out your window. Most people continue to experience similar-to-normal weather in the regions where they live, and as a result, they question the assertion that the global climate is changing ― or more specifically, that climate change is bad and that it is humans’ fault.
However, the data strongly suggests otherwise. Scientists have abundant information on regional climates going back centuries, and using this data, nearly all have discovered an upward trend in temperature right around the beginning of the most recent industrial revolution. Despite typical scientific language ― words like “probability” and “theory” ― scientists are quite certain that we are the reason the Earth is warming, which means we will soon be the cause of our own demise.

No matter your foundational beliefs, it is crucial that you learn about the issues before submitting your vote this November.

Written by Guest Submitter