I watched last week’s debate and found it refreshing that there was a heightened level of decorum compared to what we have become accustomed to

The key is that Donald Trump wasn’t a participant. We did witness a minor disturbance after JD Vance suggested Haitians in Ohio were illegal aliens. When moderator Nora O’Donnell fact-checked him, Vance took issue, saying it had been established there would be no fact-checking.

I can’t imagine how that decision was made, except that instant fact-checking almost cannot be done in the existing political climate. One can only assume participants will be truthful. However, a person’s opinion does not necessarily reflect a truth, and Vance’s statement was just an opinion.

When listening to a political speech or debate, I want to have the confidence that the speaker is dealing in facts. Unfortunately, facts seem to have taken a back seat to opinion.

Another interesting comment was by Walz, who said when he was a teacher and coach, he had a shotgun in his car so he might bag a pheasant on the way home. In my quest for debate coverage online, I ran across a criticism of Walz’s statement by Fox News, saying he flip-flopped on his 2nd Amendment stance.

Like Walz, I and millions of other liberals do not want to “take away all your guns.” We want an intelligent, open-minded approach to legally establish who is, or is not, qualified to possess a firearm, whatever the description.

I found other criticisms, including Vance’s inability to answer whether Trump won the 2020 election. Vance danced around the question better than most. However, his response was to not respond, but to change the subject.

The message here is, be honest with, and to, yourself. Vote for country over party. For some, that is less difficult than for others.

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.