Why you should care about Politics
Do you exist?
If the answer is yes, you should care about politics.
That doesn’t mean that I expect you to join a political party, be an advocate, and start a campaign by the end of this article. That’s a sure-fire way for you to get burned and think, “I’m never doing this again.”
Instead, you should try to engage in politics because you care about the world and how it’s developing.
Politics is in everything. It is who, what, when, where, why, and how. That means we can’t talk about resources like money, housing, medicine, and (in current times) vaccines without bringing it up. It’s a system we as a society have set up and abide by so we have to understand how it works and how to advocate for ourselves (and others) when needed.
You do pay taxes, so you want to make sure the money isn’t being used for systems that don’t benefit society in a positive way. If it was, that would be a waste of your tax dollars.
In a world full of injustice there are millions of things going on. You definitely care about something. Issues like human trafficking, the environment, nuclear proliferation, kids in cages, voter suppression, women’s rights trans-rights are all things we probably want to fix. Tackling one thing you care about the most will allow that change to occur. You’re not going to save the world in one day, but your effort will at least make the next generations’ life easier so that they have something to work off of.
Educating yourself on the nuances of a case enables you to be more active and informed about the issue you care about. This means you have a better understanding of what you’re working with. Maybe even withdrawing your support of a content creator who has a long history of being problematic might be a good thing to do. If they aren’t willing to see the error in their ways then now may be a good time to separate yourself from their sphere of influence.
Even though politics is my life I will be the first one to say it’s a hot mess. Things are always complicated and there is no easy solution to anything when you have to take into consideration the economy, mental health, different cultures, values, and so on. Yet, it is worth it. It is something worth dedicating my time to even if I don’t have all the answers. I have a small piece of the answer on how policy can benefit the many. I do realize I have to take a break sometimes because taking in a flow of information 24/7 is a quick way for me to say, “F*ck this, I’m getting my wine bottle and I’m going to read Hetalia fanfiction for the rest of my life!” But I know that it’s worth the search for balance as well. The same will apply to you when you look at societal issues you are passionate about solving (although your coping mechanism may be less trashy and weeby than mine.)
The political issues within the community you’re a part of are worth addressing and trying to remedy because they affect both you and the ones you care about. Even if the change takes time, it is worth it. When you engage in politics even just a little, you do have a small piece of the larger answer.
