"Oh, you know... I don't really care about politics"

^^^Please, for both my sake and your's, do not utter this phrase in front of me.

I realize not everyone enjoys sitting in front of the tube watching CNN or browsing MSNBC.com instead of facebooking, but to say you do not care about politics is to say you do not care about your life. Dramatic? Maybe a tad. Somewhat true? Definitely.

Don't get me wrong - I am not saying that you have to read every news blip about every debate, speech, or mudslinging matches. I don't, and I don't really expect anyone to. I know there are those that do, and I applaud them (but also ask that they check-in with themselves to make sure they're spending time elsewhere too. If so, keep it up).

But when it comes time to politically educate yourself, it doesn't take much to go to a news website, browse their election coverage, and read about what each candidate stands for. Actually, for those reading who DON'T know a thing about Obama besides the fact that he's African-American, or only know that Romney is a Mormon, you can use this hand-dandy link to educate yourself:

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/candidates/

I swear, in no time, you'll be able to participate in debates with your friends and maybe even vote when the time comes.

Trust me, I've heard the criticisms of our voting process. And I agree, it's not the most full-proof and reliable method. Still, even if you choose not to vote, at least choose to know why not to vote instead of just saying that you don't care about politics. You may not care about every issue simply because not every issue affects you - that's fine! But I guarantee that there is at least one issue that could impact your life in a major way. Wouldn't you like to know who could be making the executive decisions on those issues?

For those of you who didn't tune out as soon as you read the word politics, I thank you. For those curious and for those who may feel like they are not as knowledgeable as they could be about politics, I encourage you to take the first step into actively participating in the democratic process that we are all so lucky to have the opportunity to be involved in. According to my mother, if you would like to participate in the upcoming primaries and you are not already registered, you may register and vote on the day of the primary. Woot! <---official word, PS.

Alright, now get back to your homework everyone.

Comments

[Lily]

Hey Jake! I'm glad you're on this blog notebook because i love your opinions and you are very straight forward about news events. I look forward in reading more of your blogs!

[Nicholas Steece]

You're like the coolest guy ever =]. I was just accepted into Loyola and I've really enjoyed reading your blog. Loyola's definitely earned some browny points because of your blog. Maybe I'll see you around if I decide to go next fall. Thanks.

[Jake]

Nicholas,
I'm glad you enjoy it! And congrats on being accepted into Loyola. You should most certainly decide to come here. If you do, you'll most certainly see me around in the fall.
Take care,
Jake