What a truly stupid summer it's been.

What do we mean? Well, there's a whole litany of stupid that's been floating around the United States over the past several months. To start with, we probably don't need to remind you about the news of Federally-run Death Panels that don't — and won't — exist, but which seem to still be swirling about as the main reason why the government shouldn't step in and try to fix a severely broken healthcare system. Then there are the birthers, who have decided to ignore the fact that President Barack Obama was born in the United States — along with the documentation provided by Hawaii that proves it.

And of course, just in time for "back to school" season was the recent flap over that same president's special address to schools, where he was going to exhort the nation's students to work hard and study. For some reason, many folks took the opportunity to go nutso and claim that the president was going to be brainwashing and indoctrinating the kids to his socialist agenda…which, of course, didn't happen. At all.

The problem, it seems, is that politicians who want to cause a ruckus and spread misinformation are counting on people's inability to reason out what's real and what's not for themselves. The best way to understand the world around you — including the politics, economics, and partisan ideas that stream without end from the television and assorted media — is to go and get educated. Part of what makes this country great is the wealth of knowledge and ideas that people can learn about, and the way we encourage free thinkers to speak their minds without fear of reprisal. But slowly that freedom is giving way simply to talking heads and the eager ears that seek to believe anything they hear — a great boon to politicians who want your vote, and a huge setback to actually solving our country's problems and getting anything done.

A politician's biggest fear is an informed electorate. When voters take the time to learn, more often than not, the first thing they realize is that those in power will do or say anything to stay in power, including lie to those to whom they owe their office. Our advice is to put that fear back into politicians who've grown dependent on our inability to wise up…and rise up.

It's September. Let's get serious about getting smart, and let's leave the stupids behind us along with the summer. If we don't, it's going to be a long winter.

Clarification
In last week's editorial, we mistakenly indicated that the Republican Primary for Ulster County Legislature District 1 would only have two candidates on the ballot, Republican Manuela Mihiahescu and Independence Party Candidate Terry Bernardo. In fact, the ballot will feature five candidates: the two aforementioned candidates, as well as Democrats Mary Sheeley, T.J. Briggs, and Joe Stoeckeler. The four candidates who receive the most votes will be listed on the Republican lines during this November's election. We apologize for any confusion we may have caused.