I took my kids to a political rally last weekend. It was a spontaneous adventure and they were, of course, bored. However, I want them to know that if they want to see change in the world, they have to do things like attend political rallies and vote in elections that aren't as publicized as presidential elections. I hope that I raise them to see things from a viewpoint of understanding. We're lacking that in politics, especially right now.
The US 2016 presidential election proved that we are a divided nation. There were so many people that chose not to exercise their right to vote that it is appalling. I have voted in almost every election that I have been able to since I was 18. Sometimes I wasn't well informed. Other times, I voted simply to switch things up. But, I exercised my right to vote and I applaud everyone else who has done the same. It's not always easy to find time to vote in the smaller elections, but they are more critical at establishing change than the national elections. When was the last time that you voted in a school board election or a city council election that wasn't at the same time as a presidential election?
In 2016, after someone telling me, "I probably voted for a headache," I wondered if there was any way that the other person would ever see my point of view when it came to politics. The answer was that even if you try to be well-informed, you are going to have to fight the algorithms designed to feed your already held beliefs and not challenge yourself. You may think that you're being informed, but until you actively suck it up and see what Fox News is saying if you're left-leaning or actively suck it up and see what MSNBC is saying if you're right-leaning, are you truly well-informed?
You can't be well informed if your source of news only comes from one source. Every media outlet uses context, audience, and purpose to deliver their message. News from organizations that typically have a left-leaning audience will cater to that audience. News from organizations that typically have a right-leaning audience will cater to that audience.
Let's agree that we will be politically active. We will exercise our right to vote - especially in the lower-turnout elections. Let's start being the change in our world and once we do that, we can change the world.
