Who cares?
The other day someone asked me how I got so involved in politics. I’ve been asked this before, and the answer is the same: I simply realized just how important it is. My livelihood, my culture, my well-being, my children’s future, everything I care about depends on my understanding and participation. In a very real way – my life depends on it.
Being that I try to take an active role in the world around me, I often use the internet to share information. In response to a recent post I made, someone else asked (and didn’t actually expect an answer) “who cares?”
Who cares? WHO CARES? What kind of question is this?
You know what folks, I often feel like the message falls on deaf ears. As if more than half the world just isn’t listening. And it’s frustrating, it’s really very frustrating. Why? Why should I care if you don’t care? Right? I mean, what difference does it make to me? Maybe politics just isn’t your thing. Maybe you’re just not interested… you have other stuff to worry about like paying your bills, or getting your kids to school, or planning the 4th of July BBQ or checking out the new hybrid car you want to buy.
Maybe your time on the computer is better spent chatting with your friends, checking your ebay auctions or reading the latest about John and Kate.
Oh sure you probably browse by an article or two about Obama’s latest legislation signing, but you don’t really understand any of that…and it doesn’t really affect your life anyway so…. And you probably catch a word or two here and there on the nightly news in between the weather report and some local events. Maybe you even watch John Stewart now and then for a chuckle… although you secretly admit to yourself you’d find it a lot funnier if you knew what he was talking about. But your extent of “political awareness” ends there.
So when I go on about things like “Liberty” and “The Constitution”… well… it’s just not that interesting to you. Who cares? Bah! It has nothing to do with you. Right?
Well, I just have one question: WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU? How can you not see that it has EVERYTHING to do with you?
Legislation is voted on in Congress every single day that directly affects you! Bills are proposed and processed that directly impact your ability to pay your bills and keep your job. Laws are passed that limit your parental rights and grant more control to the school teacher under whose supervision your children are placed. An entire bevy of laws and regulations exist that allow toxic chemicals to be used in manufacturing those burgers and dogs you are planning to grill for your 4th of July party…. where you will probably consume too much alcohol, thanks to legislation that passed allowing you to do so…. and set off fireworks… which may or may not be legally permissible due to local legislation….and you’ll pretend that you are celebrating your American “Freedom”.
YOU HYPOCRIT!
You wonder about Global Warming and whether or not you should be driving a hybrid or using paper verses plastic? Do you have a clue about the carbon tax laws being introduced that have absolutely nothing to do with reducing pollution and everything to do with lining the pockets of the Federal Reserve? Do you even know what the Federal Reserve is?
What? you don’t care? Do you shop? Do you earn money and spend money? Does the value of that money mean anything at all to you? If not, then exactly what matter of life form are you?
Folks, honestly… the whole apathy thing is quite passé now and becoming really frustrating.
But then why do I care that you don’t?
I’ll tell you…because your inaction affects my action and your ignorant complacency and lack of competent understanding makes the struggle that much more difficult for those of us who do take a few moments per day to give a hoot about life.
So many…so many people in today’s culture are living under an anesthesia of pop culture and will only finally realize the very real and very serious severity of the situation when it is too late.
Those of us who do however keep vigilant watch and are diligently thriving to shape our own fate…well it’s apparently on our coat-tails that the rest of you want to ride.
The time has come for you to snap out of it, quit taking advantage of the small percentage of us who do take the time to be active and take some responsibility as a human being.
In the words of Ben Franklin, who when asked “what have you wrought?” he replied “A republic, if you can keep it.” Without the vigilance of the people, the very breath of our nation will be taken and liberty will suffocate; YOUR liberty.
My friends, your lack of action will almost certainly find you looking down at the shackles on your own wrists. Who cares?
