Question Propaganda

To the editor:

There’s an old saying: “I’ve made up my mind, don’t confuse me with the facts.” For those who have already decided, feel free to stop reading now.

The repeated assertion— without supporting facts— that elections in the U.S. are not free and fair is an insult to both political parties and the hardworking individuals who manage our elections. Propaganda like last week’s letter to the editor, which claimed that illegal immigrants are voting (“It’s nuts we do not see twenty million invading illegals registering to vote in our elections as more than a savvy political ploy”), is false and defies logic. Every state has checks in place to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections. Ask yourself: Why would someone who entered the country illegally risk exposing themselves further by committing a federal crime? It simply doesn’t make sense. Non-citizens who are found guilty of voting or even attempting to vote in U.S. elections face fines, imprisonment (up to five years), and severe immigration consequences, including deportation and permanent bans from legally reentering the country.

But have noncitizens ever voted in Texas and other states? Yes, it has happened— sometimes people make poor choices. In fact, according to recent reports from the Texas audit of the state’s 17.9 million registered voters, they found 6,500 noncitizens registered, of which 1,930 had a voting history. However, if these individuals were not removed from the voter rolls, their impact would represent just 0.0112% of the total votes— a percentage so small that it’s essentially a nonissue.

A quote frequently attributed to Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, states: “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.” Interestingly, there is little evidence verifying the authenticity of this quote, which ironically underscores the very message it conveys.

So, the next time someone brings up election fraud, politely ask, “What evidence do you have for that?” When the response is vague or based on unsubstantiated claims, a simple reply like “Wow, that’s unbelievable” may be the best way to disengage. Questioning propaganda civilly encourages us all to pause and think: Does that really make sense?

Ian Julian La Grange