American political campaigning seems to originate from a colonial
culture which obsessed over perspective/performance, persuasive rhetoric, and
public oratory. While this culture allowed for well written speeches and
ethical argumentation—it simultaneously required/requires an analytical audience.
Politically, instead of ascribing to one of the two major parties or aligning
myself with a third party candidate, I would describe myself as a spectator, a
participant, and a critical consumer of information. In a generation which
seems to prioritize entertainment over information—I believe it is incredibly
important to facilitate political news/ media coverage through the lens of
logical thought and ethical construction.
As a future prospective
educator, I generally favor politicians who place extra emphasis on improving/
reforming education and fostering intellect and ingenuity within our nation. As
a current student, I seem to favor candidates that teach, elaborate, and
clearly outline their intended policies well. The American Democratic System is
an incredibly balanced political machine because it is created of, by, and for
the people—us. While my party affiliation will most likely change with my life
experience, opinions, and deconstruction of varying candidate’s arguments—I firmly
and consistently stand behind the statement that one of the most impactful
things a citizen can do is vote. Voting to me is each eligible individual doing
the best they can to discern and commend the best candidate—oh yeah and then
those votes get filtered through the electoral college and depending on how
many representatives your state has… and all that jazz.
Aside from voting—which is vitally vitally important—I believe
that most political action should come in the form of listening. Active
listening will not only allow for respectful correspondence between candidates,
but also an increasingly informed voting populace. I am under the impression
that elections are not won by individuals who seek out confrontation with their
colleagues, friends, and even disagreeable strangers. While healthy debate can allow
for ethical persuasion, elections are won by individuals—who research, listen,
and analyze—voting.
And Remember:
I love that you are ok with the fact that your political affiliation will likely change as you grow/age. I think a lot of people latch onto a party and then defend it regardless. I would much rather have us consider what we care about then see what the candidates say about these areas.
ReplyDelete