Our democracy deserves some of our time. Segments of both the population and the media spread disinformation and lies resulting in myths about our country, which can then influence voting decisions.
Our vote should be based on truth not myth. To illustrate how a small investment of time can lead to the truth, below is an overview (limited by space appropriate to an opinion letter) of three of these myths:
• Myth 1: Crime is on the increase and it’s because of immigrants.
• Myth 2: The president can close the border.
• Myth 3: “Drill, Baby, Drill” for energy independence.
Myth 1: Crime is not going up. The overall crime rate is actually on a downward trend. For example, a report of murder data from 200 cities (Source: Jeff Asher, crime analyst and co-founder of a data company), showed an average decline in murder of 12.2 percent from 2022 to 2023. And for those who like to pick on New York City, murder has declined there by 11.87 percent from 2022 to 2023.
Immigrants are not more criminal than U.S.-born citizens. For example, a Stanford University study of incarceration rates from 2000 to 2020 showed the following:
• White U.S.-born individuals: 1,500 to 1,900 criminals jailed per 100,000 people.
• First-generation immigrants: 1,300 to 1,700 criminals jailed per 100,000 people.
Another study (Source: Cato Institute, a conservative think tank) of Texas homicide convictions using data from 2015 showed:
• Native-born Americans: 2.8 homicides per 100,000 people.
• Illegal immigrants: 2.4 homicides per 100,000 people.
• Legal immigrants: 1.1 homicides per 100,000 people.
Myth 2: Under current U.S. law, the president does not have the authority to close the southern border. Border closure would violate federal laws that provide “aliens” the ability to seek asylum (8 U.S. Code, Section 1158).
While some have cited the Immigration and Nationality Act as authority to shut down the border, the act does not provide such authority. The act instead grants the president authority to stop entry of only persons considered “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”
The bipartisan National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act; however, includes an amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit border shutdown if crossings exceed certain thresholds. President Biden vowed to use it if the act was approved, but Donald Trump and House Republicans refuse to bring the bill to the floor for a vote for political reasons.
Myth 3: The top three global oil producers are the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Russia. In 2023, the U.S. produced about 13 million barrels a day, whereas Russia and Saudi Arabia each produced about 10 million barrels a day.
Oil production in the U.S. is currently the highest it has ever been (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, a non-partisan energy data agency).
The above is only an overview. There is much more data available to dispel these myths and others, such as the 2020 election was stolen, rampant election fraud, the economy was better under Donald Trump, we were better off four years ago and, unfortunately, many more.
Authoritarians seek to politicize sources other than those that support them. If you subscribe to only information that has been politicized, you are furthering authoritarianism.
An informed voter is best for democracy. With approximately six months to the 2024 general election, you have time to dispel myths so that truth will guide election choices. It’s easy, and our country needs you. Vote, and vote truth.
Gary DiPippo
Wantage