In 1776, our founding fathers declared independence from the monarchy of King George III of Great Britain (kudos to those who knew King George III was king at the time because I, for one, had to Google it). On July 2 or July 4, 1776, depending on which date you believe is the true Independence Day (not the movie with Will Smith), the 13 colonies entered into a democracy. A democracy, simply put, is a society ruled by all and not just one person or group. Any high school level government or history course has hopefully taught this information. It is of the utmost importance that we pay attention and take advantage of our privilege of living in a democracy and not overlook the topic simply because “politics are boring.”
Here are three reasons why:
1. You might learn something
As a politically active and aware student, I have noticed a large political deficit in my social surroundings. Usually the response I hear when I bring up politics to my friends and peers is “oh I’m not into that stuff” or “politics just don’t interest me.” Although these responses can be understandable, it’s difficult to see students not taking full advantage of the society they live in. We should empower our friends to do more.
2. We can kick out our leaders or vote for them to stay
We, as citizens of the U.S., have the right and freedom to choose our government leaders and even become them if we so choose. Pretty rad stuff, right? Instead of having our leaders chosen for us, dictate our lives, and make our decisions, we have the ability to choose who we want calling the shots. So, why aren’t you taking advantage of the incredible opportunity that you have been granted by simply being born in the U.S.?
3. Without an educated society, our democracy cannot run effectively
I get it, I really do. Politics are not the most exciting subject sometimes, and I’m not saying that you should devote your entire existence to watching debates and reading bogus news articles about which pantsuit a candidate is currently wearing (unless you’re into that. In that case, I give you my unadulterated support). All I am saying is that in order for a democratic society to run efficiently, it needs an educated population as its fuel. This means doing your own research and not voting for who mom, dad, or your best friend is voting for, but instead for the candidates you believe in. You, the person sitting next to you in class, your best friend, your parents, the single dad in the grocery store and that cute baby on the elevator will not benefit until then.
I know it can be difficult to find out which candidate or party coincides with your beliefs, but I challenge you to do some research. It doesn’t have to be extensive, and you most certainly do not have to define yourself as one party or another. That’s the wonderful thing about politics — you can take your beliefs and how you want your world to run, and put those beliefs and ideas to a vote. Always remember how lucky we are to simply live in a society that allows us to vote freely. I double-dog-dare you to get out there and discover a whole new part of the grown up world: politics.
Side note: If you are thinking “this girl is crazy, and where the heck am I supposed to start” take this short quiz to begin figuring out where you stand on the bigger issues revolving around the upcoming presidential election. Also, If you haven’t registered to vote yet you can do so quickly and simply here.
Related Links:
Supporters open office in continued Bernie-mentum
Thousands gather at Phoenix Convention Center for Donald Trump rally
Reach the columnist at morgan.difelice@asu.edu or follow @morgan_difelice Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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