In Defense of Political Activism

I think we can safely say that being educated about politics isn’t exactly trendy.  In a political environment that inherently causes conflict, we do an awfully great job trying to avoid it. Our government and country is divided distinctly in two but we like to pretend that we can hover in the middle and not choose a side. But not having an opinion doesn’t make you neutral, it just supports the majority. As it goes, if you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem.

As a college student who is above averagely educated about current political events, I have to express how frustrating it is to try to have a spirited discussion about Obamacare or women’s reproductive rights and be met with passive silence as if these issues don’t affect everyone. I get it, you have a busy life and there are a lot of things to stay updated on, but ignoring issues won’t make them go away.

College kids love to complain about how much tuition costs and lament the fact that we’ll be paying for our education for an average of 22 years after we graduate as if it’s out of our control. But you know who sets the budget for education and therefore the tuition price? You know who controls how much money is provided for student loans? The interest rate? The people we elect. We have the power to change these things.

We get caught up on our single vote and how powerless it seems. We get overwhelmed by the number of issues that need to be addressed. We get caught up in our busy lives and lose sight of the big picture.  It’s so easy to think your vote doesn’t matter, but it’s pretty obvious through the GOP’s attempts to make voting harder for college students that it does. We have the power to make this country what we want it to be.

It’s been said many times by many people that when college kids vote, change happens. When we vote for people who put an emphasis on making education available and affordable for everyone, it happens. When we vote for people who believe in comprehensive sex education and the importance of accessible contraception, we get it. And because college kids typically lean left, the Republican Party is oh-so eager to keep us away from the polls. We need to fight back.

Start by finding one issue that you feel pretty passionate about. Research it. Solidify your opinion. Find out what the Republican Party thinks about it. Find out what the Democratic Party thinks about it. Choose a side. You might think both parties make a good argument, but look deeper into yourself and figure out what you believe to be right. It’s okay to have an opinion. It’s okay to not agree with either party on something. The world isn’t blue and red, there’s a spectrum, and as long as you have the facts, your opinion will never be wrong.

After that, you’ll hopefully feel more comfortable reading up on other issues. After a while, you’ll become comfortable taking an educated stance on issues that come up in politics. You’ll feel empowered to go to the polls to vote for your state’s attorney general. You’ll want to talk to your friends about something you read about and get their thoughts on it.

Now you’re politically active

Now you can make a difference.

Stay rad, pals.