Wednesday, February 29, 2012

America is in TROUBLE.

Disclaimer:

I don’t typically discuss my political views on any social media avenues because I don’t really think it’s appropriate and I am not one for heated debate. I am writing this because I am concerned about the LACK of interest and involvement our generation has in politics and the government (as a whole- I know there are some who know what is going on with our country). It blows my mind that people spend hours daily blowing up Twitter and FB, but most likely couldn’t tell you anything about the primaries, the GOPs, or the issues at hand. Hopefully this will encourage you to become more involved and aware of what is going on with our nation.

Last night I stayed up wayyyy too late watching coverage of the primaries and the GOP speeches.  This morning I was listening to the news coverage as I was on the elliptical, and I came to a harsh realization.

To be honest, this is the first time I have been actively involved and concerned about the election. I have done some minor research in the past to be an informed voter, but definitely NOT to the extent I should have. So no, I am not judging anyone here because I have never been as educated about politics as I should have been in the past.

However, I am developing a passion for politics, and as random and lame as that sounds to some people, I am so thankful. (Yes, I’m sure there are people who read the first line of this post and quit reading. That’s exactly the problem I’m talking about here, friends.)

I now realize that my lack of interest in the past was immature and I was not contributing as effectively as I should have been as a citizen of the United States.

I am concerned because our nation is in big trouble (DUH! We all know that and vocalize it, but aren’t doing anything about it). Although I am extremely worried about several of the issues that the candidates are discussing and how they are affecting us now, I am also nervous about the state in which we are leaving our nation for future generations. For my kids and grandkids.

Our lack of concern, overall, is SO scary.

I understand that politics may be boring to some. I understand that Survivor, the Bachelor, Glee, and blogs, Facebook, and Pinterest are far more entertaining to many people.  I also know that many of us are discouraged with our choices. And that is all fine, but it is NOT an excuse. We aren’t passionate about anyone, so we’d rather just ignore it. We are more content with continuing to complain and blame everyone high up, but not take any personal responsibility.  We are not willing to do the research or keep up with the election so we can become informed voters who are passionate about helping America begin a restoration process.

No wonder professional athletes, actors and actresses, and musicians/singers make RIDICULOUS incomes with multi-million dollar contracts and are THRIVING; while many other occupations with a much greater impact on our nation’s well-being and future, are struggling. It’s very clear where we have our priorities.

It is PATHETIC to me that we know more about the American Idol contestants than that we vote for than the men running for PRESIDENT of OUR COUNTRY.

Our country is in crisis, no doubt. There are so many issues plaguing us…the economy, the budget deficit, gas prices, the housing market, and illegal immigrants (P.S. Google “Coming to America” when you get a chance- VERY interesting documentary coming out soon) just to name a few. The list goes on.

We have a choice. We can continue playing the blame game, which is definitely the easy way out. Or we can become informed, educated (not in an intellectual sense- I’m talking about awareness about what is going on in Washington) voters who CAN make a difference. 

I pray that our nation wakes up and gets serious about this next election, as we have a lot at risk. I hope that we are smarter than to be fooled my someone’s physical appearance or eloquent speaking abilities. I hope we don’t opt to put someone in office with NO business experience and less than a term serving in the Senate. This lack of leadership experience hardly qualifies a person to run our country, yet we expect this person to “make a change.” I pray we choose a man who will value improving the state of our nation’s economy and focus on our many issues, rather than taking 16 luxury vacations and playing 90 rounds of golf. (Yes, I KNOW the president needs time off to clear his head so he can be more effective; however, the past presidents have taken trips to Fort David.) COME ON, AMERICA!!!

If you’re still with me, kudos to ya. Thanks for listening to my rant. I’m going to drink some hot tea and take some deep breaths now, as I can feel my blood pressure going rising as I type.

God Bless America!!

11 comments:

Angie said...

This was so well written! I couldnt agree more either! It makes my blood boil when friends/family/strangers have a 'viewpoint' that they cannot back up. They just heard 'someone' say it or saw it on tv, or even worse - their favorite celebrity 'told' them. I want to scream!
We are really hoping for a 'change' this year, our next president has his work cut out for him, that's for sure. But I pray it is different, for our country's sake, but more importantly my children's!
Hopefully my rant made sense, I tend to get flustered when I get worked up ;)

Unknown said...

ditto

Always Learning said...

I am with you on this one, Danielle! I really hope Romney wins the nomination. Yes, he is a Mormon but we aren't electing our Pastor but our President. He is a moral man with the same values I have. A strong marriage. Good children and a lot of business sense. We just need someone who can stand up to President Obama and believes that Americans working hard made this country great, not hand outs! Ooppss...I think I am getting too excited about this...;)

Diana Amy said...

You articulated so many of my thoughts recently! Although I'm growing tired of the seemingly endless debates, I LOVE our country and am so, so worried about the direction we are going in. I pray that we can put our differences aside and find a wise and prudent leader who will actually affect positive change.

Erin said...

I could not agree more. I get so annoyed when people cast their vote with no real basis of why they've chosen the person they're voting for. So many people don't realize how many of our freedoms are going to be taken away if things stay as they are in DC ... but they'll vote the way they do because their favorite celebrity says so. It's scary to think of how little people are interested in their own country and how much they know about last weeks episode of Survivor ... thanks for posting this!

JPeace said...

Bravo! You put into words what I want to say to so many! I'm thankful to God for having an earthly father who taught me about my right/obligation to vote and I have voted at EVERY small time AND big time election since I was 18. We can't survive in my dad's house unless we are learned in the politics!
God bless you for writing this & God bless the men and women who fight & die for our right to vote that isn't appreciated by so many!
Love you, girl!

C Mae said...

I'm republican--I don't hide it on my blog or from friends and family. I am a registered voter and cannot wait for our current president to be OUT of office! :)

Jamie Lynn said...

I totally agree!

Jamie Lynn said...

P.S. I always find Proverbs 21:1 comforting:
"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases."

Avery Jane said...

Being the political science graduate student I am, I have to say "hooorrayy!!" when I see someone becoming interested in the political process. Every point you brought up is currently being debated in the PoliSci field...maybe you should consider it for grad school?! :)

That being said I've read several articles and books this semester about the actual percentages of voters our age. While it is slightly lower than the 20 year olds of the 1950s, it is not significantly lower. People learn to be a part of the process through maturation and life circumstances. The good news is that when people vote (even the uneducated) 5 heuristics are used (for example, appearance) that actually lead to people voting "right." By voting right I mean that they are actually voting for the candidate who would most likely represent that particular constituent even if little research was done. Again, however, this is highly debated. Crazy to think people are making gobs of money to debate this stuff, huh?

And one more thing about our generation--unfortunately, we are a major reason the current president won the election. Maybe we don't want many people our age voting. ;)

Great post, Danielle. The political process needs to be more center stage in our country and in education (not literacy and math scores). Okay, I'm done. Great post! :) :)

Kathy said...

I have to admit that I don't take an active interest in politics because I do find it boring and there is so much needless drama. BUT I do research each candidate before voting so that I am making an educated vote and not just blindly choosing who I "think" should be elected. And I vote every time there is a major election.

I agree that our generation should be more involved. But I think it's hard to care because all politicians just seem so false and out for their personal agenda. So it's like choosing the lesser of two evils.