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Tell me something *good* about politics!
Nov. 7th, 2014 12:14 amTell me about politicians you *like*. I think this is important. Please, bear with me here:
Part of what inclines people to disinvolve themselves with politics is the feeling that they're all no good. That nobody is worth voting for. It's the greater or lesser of two evils.
I don't believe that's always the case. There are good politicians out there; people who care about their constituency and about citizens in general. If we want to get people motivated to participate in politics, lets talk about people who are doing good out there. Who do *you* know who makes you proud to vote for them, or makes you wish you could?
A few names in the present or the recent past come to mind. Do you know who Barbara Lee is? She is a US representative from California. She is also the only person in either house of Congress who voted against the authorization to use force after 9/11. She tells some of her story here: http://www.radiolab.org/story/60-words/ It's amazing to listen to, and Radiolab is a wonderful show; please give it a try if you have time. This woman is inspiring, and she is still in office. Not all politicians are bad.
Similarly, there is Russ Feingold, from my own state of Wisconsin. Sadly, he lost his seat to Tea-party Republican Ron Johnson. Feingold was the only member of the senate to vote against the USA PATRIOT act. He is another inspiring leader. If we, as progressives, get out and vote, we can get more people like Lee and Feingold into office.
There's Bernie Sanders too, of course; a socialist senator who is an unwavering voice of support for progressive policies of social justice. There are *good politicians* out there. People who care!
What we need are more people in office like Thaddeus Stevens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaddeus_Stevens) and Charles Sumner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sumner). Sumner's story is inspiring. He was grievously beaten in the senate chamber. Despite being in recovery and unable to perform his duties as a senator during the next election, he was reelected and his empty chair stood as a symbolic castigation.
Who do we have in the modern era who can offer that kind of inspirational leadership and indefatigable effort for social justice? I know there must be some good politicians out there. Maybe the next Barbara Lee or the next Bernie Sanders will come into office in the next election if you get out and *vote for them*.
Find out who your own representatives are, whether national, state, or local. Learn about them, and when you find someone you can be proud of, say something about them. Tell me about them! What good things are your representatives doing for you and your fellow people? Share the stories and get people invested. Make them feel *happy* to vote, instead of buying in to the perception that it's ineffective. It's not, and there are people out there who can prove that.
When I have time, after this test, I'm going to start learning more about my local folks. I'll update here when I do.
Part of what inclines people to disinvolve themselves with politics is the feeling that they're all no good. That nobody is worth voting for. It's the greater or lesser of two evils.
I don't believe that's always the case. There are good politicians out there; people who care about their constituency and about citizens in general. If we want to get people motivated to participate in politics, lets talk about people who are doing good out there. Who do *you* know who makes you proud to vote for them, or makes you wish you could?
A few names in the present or the recent past come to mind. Do you know who Barbara Lee is? She is a US representative from California. She is also the only person in either house of Congress who voted against the authorization to use force after 9/11. She tells some of her story here: http://www.radiolab.org/story/60-words/ It's amazing to listen to, and Radiolab is a wonderful show; please give it a try if you have time. This woman is inspiring, and she is still in office. Not all politicians are bad.
Similarly, there is Russ Feingold, from my own state of Wisconsin. Sadly, he lost his seat to Tea-party Republican Ron Johnson. Feingold was the only member of the senate to vote against the USA PATRIOT act. He is another inspiring leader. If we, as progressives, get out and vote, we can get more people like Lee and Feingold into office.
There's Bernie Sanders too, of course; a socialist senator who is an unwavering voice of support for progressive policies of social justice. There are *good politicians* out there. People who care!
What we need are more people in office like Thaddeus Stevens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaddeus_Stevens) and Charles Sumner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sumner). Sumner's story is inspiring. He was grievously beaten in the senate chamber. Despite being in recovery and unable to perform his duties as a senator during the next election, he was reelected and his empty chair stood as a symbolic castigation.
Who do we have in the modern era who can offer that kind of inspirational leadership and indefatigable effort for social justice? I know there must be some good politicians out there. Maybe the next Barbara Lee or the next Bernie Sanders will come into office in the next election if you get out and *vote for them*.
Find out who your own representatives are, whether national, state, or local. Learn about them, and when you find someone you can be proud of, say something about them. Tell me about them! What good things are your representatives doing for you and your fellow people? Share the stories and get people invested. Make them feel *happy* to vote, instead of buying in to the perception that it's ineffective. It's not, and there are people out there who can prove that.
When I have time, after this test, I'm going to start learning more about my local folks. I'll update here when I do.
