1. Many of us were raised that it isn’t polite to talk politics. We simply can’t afford that idea anymore. We must engage outside of our comfort zone. IRL I find more people aren’t aware of current events than are. And the ones that do have accepted the normalization of DT.
2. These are the things I often hear:
“It doesn’t affect my life”
“It doesn’t matter because the next administration will just put everything back to normal”
“I can’t do anything about it anyway”
Of course, these are comments of indifference - Fox watchers are different.
“It doesn’t affect my life”
“It doesn’t matter because the next administration will just put everything back to normal”
“I can’t do anything about it anyway”
Of course, these are comments of indifference - Fox watchers are different.
3. Those who are on a steady diet of Fox News propaganda have a different refrain.
“I don’t support everything he does, but he’s doing good things for the country”
“I don’t like him as a person, but he’s done great on (insert economy, immigration, foreign relations here).”
“I don’t support everything he does, but he’s doing good things for the country”
“I don’t like him as a person, but he’s done great on (insert economy, immigration, foreign relations here).”
4. The problem with both of these groups of people is that their opinions are based on inaccurate information. The media has failed to allow a consistent thread of truth to persevere among the day to day chaos. And it shows in the electorate.
5. Those of us that are politically interested and aware preach to our choirs within our social media bubbles. How many of you left Facebook for Twitter after the election to avoid “real life” conflicts? I did.
6. It’s important to remember that other political bubbles exist and are just as insulated as our own. They feel just as strongly and serve to reinforce each other’s beliefs. This problem isn’t getting better - it’s getting worse.
7. I would’ve hoped that the realization that our apathy and lack of preparedness to deal with a foreign assault on democracy in 2016 would’ve significantly changed things. But, it really hasn’t - not on any kind of large-scale.
8. The change is going to have to happen on the ground - with regular people. We need to lift up and honor civic involvement. We need to place value on truth. And we need to talk to each other, have those difficult conversations, listen and compromise.
