Political Involvement? QotD
Are you involved with politics or are you just an observer or do you not care at all?
One thing that I have noticed over the last few years is that the majority of people really do not understand either Politics or how our government is actually supposed work vs how it actually does work.
After another conversation with a person who thinks they understands politics but has never actually bothered to get involved in politics at any level it occurred to me there are many people out there who "Think" they know about politics but actually all they know is what they read or watched somewhere but really do not know how any of this crazy mess works.
Showing up at rallies or protests is not doing anything if you have not bothered to find out who your local politicians are at both the town & state levels. None of it matters if you do not bother to show up at your town hall meetings to hear first hand what these elected and appointed officials are saying.
Can you say that you are politically active if you are not knowledgeable about who your local and state officials are?
Can you say that you are politically active if you are not attending or watching the local city hall meetings so that you know what some of the local issues are?
When was the last time that you went up to your state capitol to talk to your elected senator or house rep to find out why they presented a bill or voted in a certain manner?
You make a great point. I did get involved, joined the county and state party central committees, attended the meetings, went to the conventions, etc. The main thing I learned is that I really dislike most of the people who are part of the machine. I am disgusted by the wheeling and dealing, and by the back stabbing. I am no longer astounded by the corruption of our government because I have learned that the training ground for the fertile field of corruption in professional politics is found in the party mechanisms at the local level.
Thanks for taking the time to reply, sorry I'm so late in my own response - yes our local swamps need draining too & sadly not many people are interesting in helping to clean out the muck