I've always found it curious how many Americans are so disinterested in, or indifferent to, our political process. We have this somewhat unique opportunity to be as involved as we want to be and to guide our nation's path...for many, that "opportunity" is boring, dubious, or overwhelming; for others, it is a pleasure and a right that we hold sacred; a responsibility we see as fundamental.
Writing letters, sending emails, or making phone calls to members of congress is a great example of the kind of power that we, indiviual Americans, have. In my own life, I have seen policy changes based on nothing more than protests, civil disobedience, and simple activism in the form of a letter-writing campaign. It is awe-inspiring when you witness hundreds or even thousands of people joing together with a common voice, sharing their concerns in a public way, demanding justice, peace, or action from our nation's leaders. It is especially incredible to realize that within these groups of hundreds or thousands of individuals are many differing opinions and lifestyles; ideologies and faiths; races and ages and genders; and yet, for that one moment-- on that one subject, they can find a common ground on which to meet to make change.
It is even more incredible when you recognize that that group of 300 or 3000 is such a small percentage of our nation's vast population, and yet they can still effect change; they can still make thir voices heard.
That's why I find it so curious when so many people feel that "it doesn't matter" whether they vote, or that their vote "doesn't mean anything". This is, in part, because of the past eight year's insular and devious administration, but it's also because the American people long ago gave up their responsibility to make this nation "by the people" and instead, handed that responsibility, and it's power, over to Washington.
I was thinking about Obama's morning nes blog and this agreement he's made to close the remianing "Enron" loopholes and how few Americans even know what that truly means; myself included.
So many people have complained that Obama doesn't speak specifically enough on the issues, but when he does, there are vast numbers of people saying (to themselves), "I don't really understand this, so I'll just gloss over it and look for some juicier news". We cry out, "We don't want to hear speeches, we want to know exactly what your plans are!" and then our lo attnetion spans begin to make our eyes glaze over while we wait for the next video or song to ease our sufferng.
On political bloggin sites, if you look at the number of comments on "real news" stories versus those on "gssip"-type stories, the difference is both huge and disturbing. In the time it takes those gossip stories to garner hundreds of comments and reads, the real news gets 10 or 0 and can barely keep the AMerican interest.
We need to be more involved not just in our politics but in the common threads that bond us all together, here in America and around the world.
It isn't enough to know every time McCain says something stupid or without flair; e must also care about what happens in our own Midwest and around the globe and have the same passion for all people, everywhere because we all share the same humanity, the same dreams, the same needs.
Caring and being involved isn't somethng to be proud of; it is our responsibility as members of the "greatest nation". We can't keep calling ourselves something like that, and using the American brand as a defining tool when over half of our population can't be bothered to spend 1/2 an hour, once every years, voting; and over 80% of our population can't do it once every two years.
As AMericans, we should be willing to spend AT LEAST as much time being involved in our politics as we are in shopping for clothes, watching sitcoms, or surfing the web.
If not, the change we seek will only be a slogan. Obama can't do this by himself, and helping him win the elction in November will be only the beginning of our job, as Americans.
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