View from a Farley The Current Events and Opinion Weblog of Chris Farley

Neal Campbell Says Politics is Bad

Turns out that I’m not above singling people out to make a point.  I hadn’t really intended to make my first real post out of the gate one that might incur the wrath of Neal Campbell, but I’ll take my chances.  First of all, this post requires a little back story.  Anyone following Neal Campbell and myself on Twitter will know that a few weeks back we had an exchange about politics.  It was actually that exchange that inspired me to start my own blog.  I wanted to talk about things that interested me, so today’s topic is people’s lack of faith in politics.

Every person that I talk to or just randomly meet seems to believe that politicians are inherently crooks.  I’m really sorry they feel that way because it is simply not true.  The scandals are what we hear about because that’s what makes the news.  But there is a lot of goodness in government and in politics.  Government is a place where people can come together.  What people dislike and what turns people away from politics is bad politics.  People are turned away from politics when they hear about unsavory political tactics and politicians sniping over who stole words from whom when people are foreclosing on their houses.  I hope that I can change that.

What I can’t stand is people bemoaning politics as if politicians alone are to blame for where things are going.  If you don’t like something, change it!  Politics may not be your cup of tea, but it’s how things have gotten done for, well, forever.  I think everyone should consider what politics can do for them.  You may not agree with every politician.  You may hate some politicians and hate what they stand for.  The important thing is that people get involved and stop thinking there is nothing that can be done.  It doesn’

t matter who you agree with.  What is important is that every person does their utmost to advance government and society.

This is hard for some people to swallow.  When I expressed my views to a friend who’s several years older than me, he said it was a bunch of “idealistic crap.”

  My answer to that actually comes from my favorite television show (now cancelled), The West Wing and from Margaret Mead, popularizer of anthropology.

At several points during the show, President Bartlett appears in front of a large banner that says “Practice Idealism.”  That banner is right.  When we practice idealism, realism often gets in the away.  But even if the “ideal” doesn’t come true, we come closer.  There is no reason why people can’

t be realists and idealists.

The other bit of wisdom I want to bring to this is from Margaret Mead.  This quote is really truly my favorite quote ever.  She said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  My entire life, I’ve held minority opinions and it’s quotes like these that make me think it’s worth it.  So it doesn’t really matter who is right and who is wrong in this case, what matters is that every person does something they believe in.  For the politically apathetic, it’s time to get up off the dirt.  For the politically active, maybe you should reconsider your positions.  My point is: don’

t do nothing!