Regarding our conversation in class last night:
Do I wish that sometimes I was more informed regarding political issues? Yes, but I don't think that it's a "problem with our society" that I'm not. Politics have never been an interest of mine and part of the reason that they're not is because I have a hard time understanding what they're talking about. I think that's a huge problem with our political figures. They don't know how to relate to the everyday people about the issues that involve or concern them. Politicians don't write their own speeches and the people that write the speeches for me, are specialized in that particular area, so the verbiage that they use is very confusing and hard to understand for someone who isn't a specialist in that field. Often times, the issues are just so complex and long winded, that I end up missing the main point. It would be nice after every speech or debate, there would be a quick recap to just discuss the main issues in lay-mans terms. I also think that the conversations and speeches need to be changed depending on the audience. If your audience is generally higher educated, then raise the bar, but if your going to speak to a group of people that most likely aren't educated, then explain it in a way that they'll be able to understand.
I think sometimes things are made to be more complicated than they need to be to keep people confused. if people are confused, then they probably wont ask difficult questions that these politicians are trying to avoid.
I hate being felt like I'm judged for not being well-informed regarding politics. After working a full day, attending class at night, doing homework, and taking care of my family and house, the last thing I want to do is pick up a newspaper and read a long, drawn out article or turn on the TV and watch a 2 hour long political debate.....I'm just tired and I don't want to be judged for that. Spending my time with my family is more important to me than studying up on political issues. Thanks, but NO THANKS. If that makes me a bad American or citizen, then so be it.
Kalie, I appreciate your post. I also feel overwhelmed by the majority of political discourse in the media. It would take so much time to (1) try to understand the context and complexity of the issues at hand and (2) decode all the spin surrounding them. Few people have time for that after work, school, family and other more immediate priorities fill their days. I think that the nature of political discourse in the media says as much about the state of politics in this country as it does about society. If you aren't a news junkie, it is very difficult to keep up. You're definitely not alone in this. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm
ReplyDeleteThe site is one I go to each voting round. I love how it gives a summary and clearly states the platforms, issues, and candidate's stances. I first used it in college because I had that altruistic feeling of voting for the first time and wanted to make sure each bubble meant something to me. Now, I kind of skim and make, what I feel, more personal votes based on semi-researched, built in ethics and morals that weren't as established when I first began voting. It's frustrating wanting to be an informed citizen, but sometimes I feel like it's a second job. I'll admit I try just like you and others have tried, but watching the GOP debates, RNC and DNC, it's information overload followed by nit-picking rhetoric, looks, and biased summaries so I end up doing more "important" things I have on my list.