I don't know why this is so hard for me to admit... maybe it makes me feel like I am not an official adult or something but here it goes: I don't like politics. Yep, it's true.
I have tried in semi-earnest to catch the bug. But here are some of my dilemma's:
1. I find talk-radio and many "mainstream media" stations to be incredibly cynical and border line depressing. It's all just saturated with negativity and bias and after a good while I think, 'who cares what we all think. The world is going up in flames any darn second'. I am a peace maker by nature. In my experience politics and peace are not friends. Political conversations are often passionate and loud and usually produce lot of furled eyebrows... It's one of the few topics where people feel SO threatened by those who believe differently. There isn't room for a whole lot of tolerance.
2. I don't think political parties stick to their core values. In theory I know what a Republican is and in theory I know what a Democrat is, but the way these parties actually run and the people who represent them always seem to be in some sort of weird grey area. Voting trends, words, and actions are just not consistent enough for me. I used to think I was a republican because I am conservative, but that just isn't always the case anymore. There are many liberal republicans and even many conservative democrats; what's more is I both agree and disagree with each side. I suppose that makes me independent but again, I am not sure.
3. I don't trust politicians. Enough said.
4. Staying informed just takes effort. I have opted not to vote in some local elections because I have neglected to take the time to be informed. I feel like I could do more harm just voting for someone because they are affiliated with a certain political party. I need to be clear about where our Representatives stand.
This all being said, I want to improve. I want to feel a little passion for my political beliefs. I need some good resources so I am going to get started by reading, "A Conflict of Visions; Ideological Origins of Political Struggles" by Thomas Sowell (recommended by my father-in-law) and then we'll take it from there.
Any suggestions?
5 comments:
baby steps. I think informing yourself to vote, and taking a stand if an issue seems important enough are good things to do. If you are not passionate, support those who are. I hate conflict, the reasons you described are what may keep me from going into more than just our HOA. But, I have also found that sometimes what I value isn't represented well, and that makes me want to take a stand. :) who knows, I think there is a season for everything and you will be passionate when you need to be! good luck, that book sounds a little deep for me, but let me know what you think!
I agree with you in so many ways. I'm lucky enough to be married to a guy who is very into politics and finds it very interesting. He often forwards newspaper articles to me which helps me stay aware.
I think knowing who is on the ballot and what issues will be presented is a great start. I would also try to read an online article per week / month depending on how committed you want to be. They get more interesting once you start reading them regularly.
I also think being informed and being involved are two different things but you certainly can't be involved until you are informed.
Oh I am loving the wellness challenge. I am considering extending from one month to three. I have discovered a new love for running thanks to the challenge. It has been a tolerated task in the past.
Here's a link to the original challenge: http://thewilcoxshow.blogspot.com/2010/08/wellness-challenge-whos-with-me.html
I have been hearing about it everywhere but I first heard about it on Aunt Kathy's blog. Didn't you do 6-9 months without sugar once? If you can do that I think you could totally do this.
Very great points here, D. I agree with many of them. I guess I look at it more along the lines of feeling passionate about my country, rather than my political beliefs. Informing myself about our nation's history, why it was founded, what were the original goals/intents have all been very helpful. In doing that, I've used both secular books and the scriptures--mainly the BofM (I think it's so important to keep both in mind because they both go hand in hand). I believe that if you have that foundation, that it will help guide you in current elections--voting for those who uphold the original values on which our country was established. And, as with religion, politics can get very heated...so I like to use some of the same principles I use when discussing religion with others--1) focus on what we have in common and 2) a soft answer turneth away wrath, and 3) sometimes it's just okay to agree to disagree...and it doesn't need to be heated. Anyway, I'm no pro, but those are things that have helped me!
Hey, D! I totally understand how you feel. I loathe talk radio and so much of what I see on CNN and Fox. So many of those talking heads engage in fearmongering and care nothing for the truth.
I can't help adding my two cents...after becoming disillusioned with pre-emptive war (thanks, Republicans!) and out-of-control spending (thanks, Democrats!) I've done a little studying and realized that the most attractive political philosophy for me is one that respects the gospel principle of agency. What is the purpose of government? For me, government exists to protect the agency (freedom) of its citizens.
The political philosophy that best supports agency and freedom is libertarianism, and if you want to know more about it, I recommend reading "The Road to Serfdom" by F. A. Hayek and "Libertarianism: A Primer" by David Boaz.
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