By Jasmine Jones, guest columnist
I am a part of the 800,000 people not receiving any substantial income right now. On the flip side, I will say events like this are the reason you should always save for a rainy day, because bills are due when bills are due. Unlike the government, I don’t have the authority to write “I Owe U” on my phone, cable or credit card bill, although it would be splendid.
I am writing this out of pure disgust at some of the ignorance I have seen online regarding the federal government shutdown and politics in general and how it has negatively impacted my life directly.
On Facebook there is an image going around of a man mooning President Barack Obama’s face on the television screen. While not liking the president is fine and dandy, and certainly your right as an American citizen, things like this are disrespectful. I would say the same thing if Bush was still in office. More and more people are posting and creating things simply for shock value. You don’t like the President? You want him to kiss your behind? Okay – great! Now tell us why. Tell us what one man did to make you feel this way. Articulate yourself in an eloquent manner. This means avoid the persistent use of swear words just because you think it makes you sound “tougher.”
Young people are apathetic to voting, although there was an increase in the historical 2008 election. However more often than not, young people don’t vote and “don’t care” because they don’t think voting impacts them. The reason issues like Social Security take priority over some of our issues is because older people vote.
Voting for president is not the only way to make a difference either. Vote on the local level because that is how individuals get their ideologies best represented. If we voted and took the beautiful privilege of voting more seriously, our politicians wouldn’t be engaged in this terrible game of “chicken.”
It is a remarkable thing to be a part of a group, especially a political party that you are so infatuated with, but saying that the Republicans or Democrats are to blame isn’t the solution. Nor is saying to eliminate one party altogether. We need both parties. They truly are an example of democracy (or at least they should be). Both are strong and can stand alone, yet they sure work well together (most of the time).
What the American people need from politicians is simple: compromise. And it’s time politicians take note. Their inability to compromise is hitting too close to home.