Friends, Romans, countrymen and women, lend me your attention for at least the next, like, 600 words. It is about time we step up and start caring about politics. I am willing to acknowledge that many of you would much rather take a quiz about which type cheese is your soulmate (side note: I got gouda!) than read yet another article discussing the importance of political mindfulness, but hear me out. It’s no secret that members of our generation enjoy a wealth of knowledge accessible by a few strokes of a keyboard. In the words of the great philosopher, Benjamin Parker (of Spider-man: the Toby McGuire Version), "with great power comes great responsibility." As thriving and educated members of our society, I believe it is our task--nay, our duty-- to harness the power of this information and educate ourselves about the future leaders of our great country. I’m not saying we all ought to go out and join our respective party's ground troops and start knocking on doors. I'm saying we should all make a conscious effort to understand what’s going on in the political arena, the consequences of our votes, and whom we think will lead the country to a future we can be proud of.
It’s an easy thing to say, but I realize how overwhelming a task that can be. You may not want to spend your time wading through potentially biased media sources to extract factual information, or you may not be aware of trustworthy resources available to you. As for not wanting to spend the time, fellow Millennials, allow me to offer my personal perspective. If I took half the time I spend watching cat videos on the Internet and dedicated it to reading more about today's most pertinent issues, I: (1) wouldn't have a cat problem and (2) would be exponentially more prepared for the voting booths come next November. It takes a little prioritizing, sure, but it doesn't have to change your way of life. It can only benefit you, I pinky promise. For those of you who don’t know where to start looking, there are a ton of resources available; Politico, Aljazeera and the Economist are some of my personal favorites. However, your source of knowledge is a personal decision and completely dependent on what you value and what you want to read about. Since objectivity in the media is somewhat difficult to achieve, I recommend using several different news outlets. I find a little comparative analysis makes it easier to identify any potential biases.
Politics is more than keeping up with whatever wacky thing Donald Trump says on Twitter. Our system only works if we are willing to invest in it. With the interweb at our disposal, it only takes 10 minutes to brush up on the day's top stories. As we get older and enter the real world, politics will become an inevitable part of everyday life. As easy as it may be to turn a blind eye to this stuff in the proverbial protective bubble of undergrad, the same cannot be said when we are kicked out of the nest. So let's all wake up, read about things, take an interest, think critically, and start caring. Like it or not, the world is happening, and the more we know, the more we can control. Let’s make Ben Parker proud. Let’s take responsibility and join in on the quest for knowledge, reason, and voice.
