Here people, have a RUSH....

I agree with you on that. So how do we change it? I know the left's only suggestion is that the right be eliminated.

 

Unfortunately, in 25 years of living, what I've learned is that I don't have many answers. Tons of questions, but I'm a little short on the answer side.

I am a big believer in the grass roots. I think we can have more real, lasting change with honest and thoughtful dialog than we can through shouting. I think sitting around the dinner table with friends can be more impactful than volunteering on a campaign.

I think we have to educate young people, from first-time voters through people a few years older than me, about the importance of discourse, and of the importance of fulfilling our role in the process of self-governance.

I think we need to teach them to love democracy, and to love freedom.

Mostly, though, we need to teach them to think. Teach them it's ok vote away from the party, ok to hold an unpopular opinion, that an unpopular opinion based on intellegent, rational thought is better than blind obedience to any creed.

I know it's young and idealistic, but it's all I can give you right now. I don't feel compelled to adopt the cynicism of so many so early in my life.

 

Hell, 'shooter has my vote.

And I agree: Teach them to think.

If you place blind trust in either major party at this point, you're just fooling yourself. Both parties are full of old, white men. Both parties are full of old, stale ideas. Both parties are full of corruption. Both parties like the the status quo, because it keeps them in power.

We don't live in a black and white world. We have more than two choices -- in politics and otherwise.

 

Well, take this as the compliment it's meant to be: You are wise beyond your years.

However, in saying that, let me also add that I hope you're only posting here for fun and not really in Sports Journalism. Or, if you are and you're as wise as I think you are, take my old sage advice and FIND A NEW PROFESSION before it's too late! (OK, I'm kidding about this last part. I love my job and my bosses [I have to repeat that 30 times a day to remind myself of that].)

 

It's worse than that, Tony. I'm a photographer.

That's right, I'm spending unholy sums to get a master's degree in photojournalism.

Let the head shaking begin.

 

Please, for the love of God, get a job shooting for the AP and teach the rest of them how to write a semi-coherent cutline.

 

Haha.

I understand. At least when photogs write bad cutlines, all you have to do is fix them. I have to fix them and apologize for my entire profession...

I do work with my peers in the program here and the students I TA to write good cutlines, so we'll be turning out some grads who can do it.

 

Then I, and layout people everywhere, thank you.

 

*bows*

A quick return to the conversation at hand.

One of the things I get frustrated by, Tony, is when people like Yawn (and I KNOW it happens on both sides of the fence, he just happens to be the thorn in our collective side at this very moment) come in and throw around invective. It doesn't serve to advance the discourse. It doesn't help me educate myself so I can govern (via voting and other modes of civic engagement) more effectively.

All it does is make me more disgusted with a process I should love. That said, it's obviously a schtick that works.

 

One of the reasons I like Yawn and throw a few comments around myself is simply because I'm so sick of how self-righteous the hateful lefties are. They incessantly throw around hate toward the right and then claim the high moral ground because they're the "tolerant" ones.

 

Just wanted to preserve that one.

 

Believe me, I'm just as frustrated by them. How anyone can, in this day and age, say with a straight face that their party holds the monopoly on honesty, integrity, family values or moral fortitude is beyond me.

Anyhow, just a quiet musing on the subject. I'm really not trying to throw stones.