My inquiring mind wants to know the reason why there are so many negative things taking place in the world lately. The mud-slinging political campaigns and a Florida congressman are two among many that have bothered me the most.

Counting today, we have 34 days to look at mud-slinging political announcements about the upcoming election on Nov. 7. In order not to be bias, I will not print any names, but if you turn on your TV, even for a short time, candidates that I am about to talk about will be revealed to you.

News-Herald Managing Editor Douglas Grant, in his regular column on Friday, Sept. 22, was right on the money about verbal shots of political candidates talking about their opponents. I saw proof recently that these cheap shots seem to be working as far as one candidate is concerned.

I attended a homecoming game in Petersburg on Saturday, and at halftime a candidate walked out on the ballfield with the queen’s court. When his name was announced, I witnessed a very cold welcome, with hardly any response from the crowd, and a few boos.

This candidate is being ridiculed by his opponent for his insensitivity to ethnic races and for using the n-word. However, his opponent is declining to say whether he, himself, has ever used the word.

What’s really ironic is that now the ridiculed candidate’s wife has joined the campaign trail. When she was shown on the TV on Saturday night, campaigning on one of those trails, she was embracing an adolescent black girl. An inquiring mind wants to ask this candidate and wife why do they try to be seen or pictured with people who they have been accused of being bias against. Don’t they realize that this action could work against them, because it may make them look as if they are trying too hard to get this candidate elected?

Another candidate is being accused of demonstrating physical rage against a woman when he was in college more than 30 years ago. According to the available information, she cut him off on a wet road and then deliberately slammed on her brakes, causing a traffic accident. He has been accused of using physical rage against her by pulling her hair. However, he said that he only used verbally abusive statements toward her. The physical abuse is questionable, but the rage is a fact. However, my inquiring mind would like to know if this woman had done this to his opponent, or one of us, wouldn’t we have also been outraged, especially if it was deliberately done?

This candidate is saying that he has proven many times that he has changed for the better. Changing for the better, and not for the worse, is important.

Why don’t these mud-slinging candidates think of the phrase, “When you point your finger at someone, four are pointing back at you?”

A good demonstration of this is being proven today with the case of Mark Foley.

Foley, a Florida congressman, has spoken out strongly against pedophiles in the past, and now it has been brought out that he has been one for many years. Worst yet, many in Congress knew he was one, but failed to speak out against him because they didn’t want to get involved. In my opinion, this makes them as guilty as he is.

Lastly, this inquiring mind is counting down those 34 days to the time when I won’t have to hear the statement, “My name is ——- and I approved this message.”

Until then, I will welcome the commercial that repeats itself and that I have dreaded hearing so many times that says, “Head On, apply directly to the forehead,”

Head On, apply directly to the forehead.” At least I know that this is a commercial that will relieve a headache instead of giving me one, like those mud-slinging political ones are doing.

Wall is a former News-Herald reporter and regular contributor to the Town Square page.