Participation
So I'm going to make a whole new category for these types of posts... I seem to make them a lot. Just little posts that mention something in passing that really doesn't need a lot of explanation, but is meant to provoke some sort of... Thought. I thought of calling it "Food for Thought", but that's so boring and typical and I really don't think like that. I've noticed myself leaning more toward a professional presentation of things, and I think I'm getting too straightforward! Humor and personality makes things unique! So, after careful consideration, the new category is going to be dubbed "Showertime Speculation", and is based off how I personally use the shower to go through random trains of thought. They're never lengthy trains of thought, but they're sometimes pretty profound, if I do say so myself. That being said, here's the inaugural Showertime Speculation:
American Politics. Over the past several months, I've obviously developed a major interest in American politics, laws, and government in general, and I've had countless people tell me things like "politics? how can you stand to read that stuff?" and "hah! I keep away from that stuff like the plague", and I'm left sitting there wondering why in the heck they act like this? I'm going to tell you what I think of when I hear the word "politics". It's not "cockroaches in Washington" or "maniacal liberals bent on the destruction of all that's good in America", though those things certainly fall under the term. When I hear the word "politics", I think of the incredible privilege we have, as Americans, to be able to have politics in the first place! I think of how we, as Americans, believe in the right to determine our own leaders by fair representation. As such, we have a responsibility to keep ourselves informed of current events, what laws are trying to be passed and for what reasons, and to keep ourselves informed about the character and opinions of people who are offering to run for office to represent us.
Americans ARE lazy. We're the greatest country on the planet and so many citizens take it for granted. They don't seem to want to bother themselves with keeping tabs on the government and just kind of go with the flow of their peers and political parties. When I hear someone say they don't like politics or even can't be bothered to deal with it, I'm left wondering how in the heck someone could say that. I wouldn't call it a duty, because it's not required for someone to vote, but I would most certainly say it's a great responsibility as an American to BE involved in politics at some degree! You can choose not to take care of your responsibility, sure, but then that makes you... Irresponsible. (Yeah, I got creative there.)
Now, I realize that politics is considered a hobby or sometimes even a career that people just don't enjoy. I understand that... But for someone to flat out say that they keep their distance from politics as a whole? That just gives me the impression that you're too... Something... Selfish or ignorant or whatever... To be bothered with at least checking out the basic political events for yourself in order to make informed judgments about who to vote for. I can tell you right now that I think very poorly of people who can vote but decide not to, and I think far more poorly of people who vote just for the sake of voting and without any true understanding of who they're voting for. I understand that some people don't want to keep track of every little bill and law getting passed around, but I still think that it's your responsibility as an American to at least pay SOME attention to politics, especially when it comes to these presidential primaries. To have the freedoms that we do doesn't come without a price... Part of that price is that you HAVE to be involved in politics at some degree, and to be involved in politics at all, you need to be aware of what's happening around you, and that means you're going to have to get a little dirty with political news and blogs so you can at least make a small effort to understand and comprehend what's happening.
And... This really wasn't a small thought, but it's still something I came up with in the shower.