Silence Amid The Voice: By Diran Avagyan

Streaming on YouTube has been particularly annoying for me recently, with constant interruptions from political ads. With the California Statewide Primary Election approaching on June 2, I had hoped we would begin the month of June free from political commotion. Alas, the propaganda and counter-propaganda continued to bombard public opinion even on election day.

As if that were not enough, the debates, campaign clips, and political ads continue to appear on my feed as Armenia prepares for its parliamentary election on June 7.

The rhetoric in both the United States and Armenia seems largely the same, often characterized by spite, blame, and smirking. Instead of demonstrating their own qualities, candidates frequently spend their energy and resources highlighting the faults of their opponents. Likewise, many people find themselves voting less for one candidate and more against another. Now that the California primary election results are in, one can see that such strategies do not always prove effective.

Let politicians attend to politics while we, the people, seek clarity amid the noise.

Many countries, including Armenia, observe what is known as “election silence,” a period during which political campaigning and media coverage are restricted immediately before or during an election. Election silence offers an opportunity to gather our thoughts, sift through our emotions, examine our biases, and make informed decisions according to our conscience.

Whether in politics or in life in general, we all need moments of silence. Without them, the constant noise around us can muffle our inner voice. More importantly, it can make it difficult to hear the voice of God speaking to our hearts.

Yes, we need a break. We need silence. We need groundedness rather than polarization. We need honest conversations rather than deceitful rhetoric. We need space and quiet to listen to the voice of our conscience and the voice of God.

May we find peace, clarity, and comfort in knowing that truth will prevail despite the politics. And may we learn to quiet the noise around us so that we may discern the path that leads to righteousness.