Adults who faithfully try to convince their children of the importance of voting have nothing to be proud of from this election.

Political campaigns should be a free exercise in free and responsible speech, thoughtful discussions, competitive yet respectful give-and-take between the candidates for each position.

Instead, what do the young people of America — including Island County — receive? One cheap shot after another delivered in virtually every form of media available, from TV and radio to newspapers and direct mail.

In the various forms of advertising, facts are mangled and context is twisted until nothing is left of the truth but the tattered frame it used to hang on. A mayor’s raise is pointed out, but not the fact it came with extended responsibilities and a new job description. A vote for a gas tax is heralded, without pointing out that the other political party supported it too. A candidate who spent years in the island’s public schools is called an outsider because he had the temerity to serve the public in Washington, D.C.

At the highest level of government, one candidate is called a traitor and the other a deserter. This type of brainless political discourse can only turn young people off to politics, and understandably so.

It’s time to quit nodding our heads regretfully and saying “that’s politics,” and instead demand better from our candidates and those who support them. What we don’t need is laws restricting free speech. What we do need is more candidates who will take and fulfill the pledge to run clean, honest campaigns, and candidates with the courage to publicly disown those who trample on the truth, in their name. “I had nothing to do with that ad,” is a lame excuse we hear too often, from the president on down to the 10th Legislative District.

We also need political parties that will promise to run clean, informative campaigns that allow the voting public to make up their minds based on the issues, not distortions. This is even more important than winning, because when winning is all that matters, we all lose.