Saturday, October 4, 2008
360 Degrees: Politics
I'm not going to write about the economic crisis, or the war in Iraq, or abortion, or any of the things that politicians and non-politicians alike can argue so heatedly about. No, instead I am going to write about politics in general. Every day I wonder how many people who have labeled themselves as "Democrat" or "Republican" actually know what they have associated themselves with. I am not afraid to admit that I am pitifully ignorant when it comes to current events and politics. I have tried time and time again to educate myself about the problems in our world, but when I try to learn about the Middle Eastern conflict, for example, I find that to learn about what's happening now, I need to learn what happened previously, and I get lost trying to go back years and years to find out how the whole conflict started. When it comes to the economy, I am a lost cause. I always try to have my parents explain to me how the stock market works and what is going on in the economy, but I just get confused. I know very little about politicians' views, and because of the tugging in different directions I am faced with at school and home, I am hesitant to choose a party. So I wonder, how many people are like me, and know very little about current issues? And then I wonder, how many people like this have claimed that they belong to one party or another, or that they support this politician or that one? I believe that many people jump on the overwhelming Democratic bandwagon that dominates in many places around our country, and is most definitely dominant in these Chicago suburbs. Should these people be able to bash politicians shamelessly? Should anybody, informed or not, be able to call a politician an idiot? If someone doesn't agree with a person's views, that's fine, say that. But to call someone an idiot, I think, is disrespectful (even if they actually are unintelligent). Do people realize that these politicians are being scrutinized CONSTANTLY, and that no matter what decision they make, SOMEBODY is going to disagree? I think that everybody who calls himself or herself a Democrat or Republican needs to be educated, and that the people who are educated need to show more respect.
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3 comments:
Margot, your post was awesome. I am totally in agreement with you. I mean, I know I agree with many of the Democratic viewpoints, but I know that I still have more to learn about politics in general. I find that I tend to go more liberal, and I like to be more open-minded, yet I notice sometimes that Democrats say that they are very open-minded, while they can't accept conservative viewpoints. Similarly, some Republicans claim to be all for a better economy, and yet they just want to help the rich get richer. (Now these are just my opinions, so please don't attack me for not citing a million sources on this,) but I basically just wanted to say that your blog definitely struck at something I've often worried about. How many of the voters actually know what they're voting on? Should we trust that we will elect good officials if the majority (yes, I'm assuming that this is a majority; I may or may not be correct) of people are only voting based on vague impressions of the candidates? I don't think so. I also agree that you're right on the whole mud-slinging thing. Our country really needs to start focusing on POSITIVE feedback. That's what will make for good changes. Your post should be sent to all of the political websites and organizations. If they listen, it could seriously do some good.
Margot, I feel we are kindred spirits when it comes to politics. I have exactly the same issues as you; I honestly don’t know who I’d want to vote for, what’s going on in most of the world, or even really what the differences between being a Democrat or a Republican are (which I feel pretty pathetic about). And I would also be interested to know how many people actually know what they are talking about when bashing Sarah Palin or ranting about their love for Obama. I agree with you that many people just jump on a common bandwagon when they are not sure, just so they can be a part of something and argue against someone else.
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