O ur canine companion for the past decade — a 35-pound Benji terrier — was diagnosed with diabetes last year. A few weeks ago, his deteriorating eyesight reached the point where he could no longer see.

He has adapted pretty well, using his memory of the space around our rural residence as well as his hearing and acute sense of smell to navigate. But without a little assistance, he often bumps into things and strays off-track.

Although he can no longer chase squirrels or jump up to snag Frisbees out of the air, he has a limited ability to romp across the open spaces of our yard. When we’re taking a walk together, the pooch sometimes drifts into the tall grass and can get further off course and confused until I guide him back to the path.

It appears that a similar, but opposite, dynamic has contributed to our current political predicament, in which candidates cast doubt upon the integrity of our elections. Voters can get lost in the weeds as they hear politicians pushing false narratives, repeating lies they surely know are not true.

But instead of helping their followers find their way back to the path, where fact-based, verifiable truths are found, many choose to double down on the lies, keeping their followers agitated, frustrated and angry. Sometimes this contributes to violence, as recently happened with the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband.

Our politics have been moving in this direction for quite some time. Too many politicians perpetuate lies and baseless conspiracy theories, driven by blind ambition that preys upon fears, activates latent prejudices and obscures the truth.

Although journalists have traditionally sought to maintain objectivity and balance in their reporting by giving voice to “both sides” of an issue, things have now gotten so far off-kilter with the questioning and subversion of our electoral process that this approach has become untenable — at least when it comes to this subject.

When all but one of the Republicans in our federal delegation chose not to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election and our attorney general joined a lawsuit contesting that election, it’s understandable why they may feel that way. But it should be noted that not all Republicans feel that way.

Although it’s not new to this election, the subject of crime has become like a squirrel popping up in our political landscape, with campaign ads presenting dark and dramatic images intended to stimulate fear and mistrust.

Kevin Willmott, the University of Kansas professor who won an Oscar for the film “BlacKKKlansman,” contends that this type of reference to crime represents a not-so-subtle way of playing the race card.

In a recent post on social media, he wrote: “Anytime you see a commercial, just substitute the word ‘crime’ with ‘scary Black folks’ and understand how racism works as a political tool.”

Many candidates are also hyping economic concerns such as inflation and high gas prices, placing blame on those who have little direct control over such things while ignoring the fact that these are global problems exacerbated by an ongoing international conflict.

Not long ago, when my wife and I were on the back deck soaking up the quiet serenity of the early evening, our vision-impaired dog wandered off the deck into an immediate encounter with a passing skunk, which promptly unloaded on him.

The noxious odor permeated the calm evening air as we launched an attempt to cleanse the dog. The smell soon pervaded much of the house. We did what we could to clear the air, but eventually we had to abandon our bedroom for the night and sleep in a remote space away from the fumes.

It wasn’t the dog’s fault. He wasn’t chasing after anything. He couldn’t even see what hit him. He just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. But almost a month later, he carries a faint reminder of that fateful encounter. I still catch a whiff when I bend down to scratch behind his ears.

We’ve heard from lots of folks raising a stink about the integrity of our elections, claiming that they can’t be trusted. Some people even suggest that they may not honor the results. We need to stand firm and resolve that here in Kansas, our democracy won’t get “skunked.”

We might also remind ourselves that we don’t have to chase after every “squirrel” that comes along. That can be exhausting!

Dave Kendall, Kansas Reflector Dave Kendall served as producer and host of the “Sunflower Journeys” series on public television for its first 27 seasons.

Kansas Reflector is a nonprofit news operation providing in-depth reporting, diverse opinions and daily coverage of state government and politics. More information at https:// kansasreflector.com/