Politicians are becoming more and more powerful by the day. With billions of dollars being shipped out to every corner of the U.S. — and, indeed, the world at large — there are more reasons than ever to pick up a newspaper and try to understand just what the government is doing.
Yet at a time when political tensions are coming to a head (this is one of the most crucial mid-term elections seen in quite some time) more people than ever are feeling apathetic. But why?
With the Internet, there’s literally no end to how much information someone can read about any number of subjects. You can read a BBC analyst’s opinion on America’s stimulus, and then read every single American columnists’ take as well. Every speech and every bill is available to look at somewhere online.
We here at the Daily Cougar certainly try to report on what the campus government is trying to do. The Chronicle (and all the state’s news organizations) try to bring to light how heated the governor’s race is. Yet voters still turn a blind eye, preferring to vote strictly along party lines (if they even vote at all.)
Yes, it does take some time to actually sit down and read what’s going on with Congress, and it’s not something the average American could change overnight. But when people are informed, they generally make informed decisions.
If this country truly wants the change that President Barack Obama promised, it has to try and at least meet him halfway. How can you expect anyone — even the president — to change the most powerful country in the world without giving him constructive criticism?
Maybe the problem lies with the media itself. Instead of commenting on the issues, the stories focus on whether or not politicians are serving their parties well. But, then again, readership declines when someone comments on the actual issues, because people generally don’t seem to care too much in the first place.
Or maybe, just maybe, if people actually started caring, there would be change. First, in the news coverage, then in the voting booth.
And then, perhaps, we’d see some honest-to-goodness change start to happen.
