"I Hate Politics!"

I love discussing politics. Whether I'm on break at work, at school, with a group of friends, on a date, having dinner, or standing in line for something, I love discussing politics. I have come in to contact with a few people who claim that they "hate politics". I always tell them that politics is, in fact, everything that goes on in your life. Hating politics is, in my view, a lazy excuse for not paying attention to things of important matter. If you go to the gas station to fuel up, the price of that gasoline and the taxes on your Sobe drink are all determined by politics. If you legally get married, politics played a part in your tax filing status and your tax exemptions. If you go to a park or a state park, politics plays a role as to what rules exist on that land, how much, if at all, it costs to enter, and whether that land exists or not. You see, politics just isn't what you see on CSPAN or observe on your local city council channel. Politics is "the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy". Governmental policy, in actuality, is everything that occurs in your daily life whether you like to admit it or not. If you buy a house and some property, you have to vote whether to approve higher taxes on your property to fund a new local library, a new school or school improvements, and are directly influenced by the increasing/decreasing value of your property. Politics is everywhere. So, with that being said, why do people hate discussing it and avoid the subject altogether? Well, to me, it's an issue of how much someone knows. I'll admit that I'm not the person to discuss botany with or how many square feet of material is needed for the production of a pair of jeans or a dress. However, those things are merely hobbies and not something that affects a vast number of people. Politics is something that exists for everyone and, therefore, affects everyone along some line. Here is where I come to my main argument. Feeling uncomfortable/non-interest while discussing politics means you haven't done your responsibility as a citizen. People complain about the price of gas, the price of food, etc. and yet do nothing to improve the situation. I can't explain why some people gripe and complain, yet do nothing about it. People complain that life is hard and that things are getting more and more expensive. Yet, I fail to see many of these people making decisions that would either help their situation or improve their overall quality of life.
Politics plays a role in your life whether you like it or not. I have no respect for people who avoid getting involved and merely complain about things as a means to their end. If I'm at a table eating a meal and the subject of politics comes up, I listen and, when I can, provide a response. If someone proposes a change of subject, that should be denied by others at the table. Political discussion is very important to the bettering of society and the future of this country. It's crucial that people start paying attention and learning as much as they possibly can about as many subjects as they possibly can.
I propose this solution: The hardest part is the start of your ambition to get involved in any political discussion. Start by merely listening. Listen to each person's point of view and listen to other people's responses or criticisms. This will allow you to see at least two different sides to the story and allow you to start developing your own point of view. A lot of the subjects covered during discussions are merely rhetorical. Stating a particular point, whatever it may be, can be persuaded with evidence. This is where research and reading come into play. I remember how difficult the Israeli-Palestinian situation was and how much I hated hearing people talk about it. However, all it took on my part was listening and a steady balance of reading current events and the history of the conflict. It all starts with listening.
Listening is the most important thing that you can do. The feeling of discomfort will happen, but it will happen less and less the more you learn and engage with discussions with other people. Nobody can hop onto a bicycle for the first time and ride without some struggle. This is a part of life and learning. You will slowly develop a level of comfort about certain subjects and may become bored or uninterested. This is where you can move on to another subject or propose the changing of the discussion subject. This will allow other people to discuss alternatives or a subject that they might know less about than you. Here is where you can influence other people and make an impression on them.
The process of learning never ends and is strengthened by people exchanging ideas and facts with each other.
What if someone refuses to discuss a topic? This is where listening is most important. If someone says that the current discussion of religion is making them uncomfortable, simply and nicely ask them, "Why"? Sometimes allowing someone to discuss their reasons for being uncomfortable towards a particular subject will allow them to get more comfortable with discussing the subject. After listening to them, state how much you appreciate their input. Approach your response with caution and try to strengthen what they said while, at the same time, formulating your own response. The most important thing that you must remember is to make the conversation as positive and constructive as possible. This possibility of this person engaging in discussions in the future relies on how well you handle what they say and how you respond.
You see, political discussion is extremely important for all people. Many people refuse to engage in it because of a lack of general knowledge on the subject, their discomfort of debating, or for fear of being proven wrong. These are many of the humps that I have had to overcome and it was a long and grueling process. However, it was only grueling for me because I choose to learn as much as I possibly could about as much as I could. This probably wasn't the best thing to do, but it allowed me to feel comfortable in almost all possible discussions.
Discussing Britney Spears, Pitt and Jolie's baby, etc. may pass time, but does nothing to improve the state of the world or your intellectual capacity. In actuality, it's rather quite regressive to your overall intellectual level. This is why I refuse to watch television. Sure, it helps to pass time and to entertain you, but its entire future and level of success depends on every one's continued and increased attention. This, in reality, decreases the time that could be devoting towards your family or to improving your intellectual capacity. I want you to learn as much as you possibly can and I feel that it is important for me to help you in that path. I would like to help out as many people as I possibly can and I understand what many of you are going through.
It is commonly known that the discussion of politics and religion are dangerous grounds to walk on at work and in the beginning of a relationship. However, I feel that it could be easily improved if people were able to accept some else's point of view while being able to state their own. This is one of the many reasons that the freedom of speech exists. Formulated ideas come from discussion and the challenging of one's own point of view. Challenging a view or belief can lead to a solution and the overall improvement of that person's life. There are drawbacks to this.
Not everything said is truthful and is merely rhetorical. That is why it is important to advance your level of understanding so that you can challenge another person's view. This will require you to read news and information that you may not typically agree with.
With the accessibility of information in this day in age, it is a sorry excuse to not know what is important. Sometimes doing what makes you happy and what you enjoy isn't beneficial to you or society. The progression of humankind relies on the ability of the people to expand their intellectual capacity, to challenge themselves, and to meet and exceed expectations. There is no excuse for not becoming an integral part of society and being a part of the motivating force behind its change. The future is not guaranteed...we must earn it by constantly challenging ourselves and doing what we can to improve the overall state of the world. Thank you and I urge you to get involved.