Politics

Politics. Its the word that everyone tells you to steer clear of if you’re looking to have a nice conversation. It’s the problem that never seems to have a solution. Politics will most likely never be an easy subject that everyone agrees on. Andy Kroll discusses his political opinions in his article “Politics For The People.” His opinions are valid, and most of his arguments would be supported by the “99%,” it is just how to reach those solutions that cause disagreement.

Tonight was the last of the political debates between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. The twitter feed was buzzing as everyone voiced their opinions. Some comments were full of concern and worry for the nation, while others had tuned in for the first time and wanted to join in on the excitement. Reading these tweets can be intriguing, exciting, startling and concerning. In the past politics never seemed to grab my attention as it has for this election. I miss the deadline to vote by four months, which makes it incredibly hard to watch these debates and form opinions that don’t matter in the long run because I won’t have a voice in this election. Sometimes I wonder how much of a voice anyone has in these elections. Wall Street and big corporate companies invest millions of dollars into these candidates, who have no choice but to be biased towards these companies if they want the funding to continue. Kroll says that “A politics for the people reconnects elected officials with the citizens they govern. It eliminates the all-consuming need to woo donors, the sprint from one fundraiser to the next, and instead demands that politicians worry first and foremost about what their constituents need and believe.” Does this describe the government we have right now? No. So instead we Americans are forced to deal with what we have, and choose the candidate who we think will do the least amount of damage.

This year over half of my courses focus on the current environmental issues that our country and world are facing. In this current political race one would think that this would be a hot topic. Yet the twitter feeds were filled with the “#climatesilence” because for the first time since 1984 the topic of climate change was completely ignored in all the political debates. If neither candidate is fighting for climate change that what can I expect for my future.  As I spend time working on my project for this class I am made aware of the startling realities that this country faces in regards to environmental concerns, and while part of the requirement for this project is to share what we learn with our local communities, that is something I would feel compelled to do anyways. The world should be made aware of environmental problems just as much as they are with warfare, and the hot-topic of abortion. So while not being able to vote makes me feel hopeless, the fact that environmental change isn’t a main concern for either candidate makes feel completely powerless and worried for the future of our country.