For some time it could be said that I
exhibited a striving sensation to join the hustle and bustle that Americans
give the title ‘politics’. However, my interest in obtaining political knowledge
dwindles with every passing day. It makes me cringe to even think about reading
a political article produced by any knowledgeable columnist. You see, I have a condition, an unnamed and
unknown condition that carries a definition to describe my fear of political hullabaloo.
I highly doubt I am the only one
human with this feeling, as the political jargon in today’s age proceeds to
flourish into more confusing and complicated issues. Outside my feelings of
animosity and fear of politics, I still sense that I am missing out, and in all
honesty, I don’t think it is right to duck and cover for the remainder of my existence
and likewise for everyone else in a similar predicament.
Having
a fear of politics is understandable; however, it is sad that most people,
including myself, have such a devoted avoidance. I would love to have an
opinion on the upcoming elections, or have the ability to fight my position regarding
piracy through the internet. In fact, it may not be that I have no opinion; I
am just terrified to share what I think for the fact that it might get ripped
to shreds by anyone and everyone. Alyssa Rosenberg explains in her article, “TV’s Irrational Fear of Politics,” that even television shows are avoiding their
acknowledgement toward any political position for the fear that they may lose
fans, and coincidentally, revenue. And when it comes to having an opinion, many
people choose the “default position” and remain neutral, when society naturally
encourages others to share their views.
There
is a similarity between the television shows and myself. I wouldn’t be one to jeopardize
the loss my fans (friends) either. I don’t like the idea of putting myself in the
eye of my peers, especially when I am lacking the knowledge to back up my
opinions. I agree with the views of Harvey Mansfield in his article, “How to Understand Politics” where he states simply in the first paragraph that in his
case he would rather avoid the practice of politics and instead explain how to
understand it.
What I
am trying to say throughout this post is “Hello, my name is Allie Brisco, and I
have a fear of politics.” As a spin off from the average introduction by an alcoholics
anonymous participant, I too need, and want, to make a change. And I encourage
anyone sharing my similar feelings to do the same.
All in all, people best be ‘learnin
up’ on some political happenings!
My opinion on this topic is fairly similar with Allie in the sense that I think that politics are extrememly hard to understand, hard to always be able to back up your thoughts, and can be scary to voice your opinion.
ReplyDeleteUnlike Allie, I am not necessarly scared to say what I have to say, my problem is just being able to elaberate on why I feel the way I do.
If people didn't voice their opinions then how would our democracy work? Often times I see t.v adds or other opinionated articles that clearly put out the message they want us, the viewers, to see. These persuasive articles and adds make a difference when it comes to politics. Those of us, like me, who is unsure about many issues, can easily be persuaded by these messages, that if not voiced, would still clearly take no opinion.
So overall, I agree with Allie about the complications of understanding politics, however, I feel voiceing your opinion shouldn't be a feer, but a persuasive message to get the action you want.
I also partly agree with Allie, but like Candace, I am not afraid of politics. I don’t mind voicing my opinion so long as I know what I am talking about. There lies my problem: I don’t have a very good idea of what is going on in the world, and I really don’t have any desire to fix that. There is little in politics that interests me, even though I know that almost every decision made by politicians will affect me in some way. I know that I should be watching the debates and keeping track of the poles, but I can't bring myself to watch enough of it to become informed on any specific issue, let alone the whole election. I just did a quick Google search and found out that there have been roughly 33 hours of debates since September of 2011. I don't think I put that much time into watching football since last September, and I love football. I think my real problem is I don’t know where to start when it comes to politics. There are too many options I could go with: the House, the Senate, Obama, the election, or foreign affairs. Over all, I am losing interest in politics every day, not because I am afraid of politics, but because I am not willing to put the time and effort into becoming an informed citizen.
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