struck on the side of the head (essay #1) erin hannah

After living with a political science major and reading Common Wealth what I would do differently is our government. I am not sure how I could actually go about it, a government is a lot bigger than just one person, as it should be, but still needs to be more so. If I truely live in a democracy, difinition being government by the people, why do so many things happen that the poeple seem to be against. Because our government has too much power and the political game is what politicians are concerened about other than the best for our nation, and the world.

Most poeple don't even know what is going on in the world of policy making and legislation. Myself included in that most poeple. I am trying to be more aware of my government and their decisions so I can be educated and not surprised (although I am rarely surprised by the governement). This is the first step that I think needs to be changed. People need to be more educated and aware about their government, and in reality the worlds governments. If we think that what we do in the United States only effects us then we are mistaken. Also policies passed in other contries will effect the policies we pass and so forth. If we are to be a government run by the people, our people must be educated, this is not the job of the government to educate, nor is the job of the media, it is the job of the people. In our elementary schools and middle schools and highschools, we should be encouraging them to know what is going on, as well as they can and their age allows. I had one government class in highschool for five months, and it taught me the basics of how a government is run but nothing really of the current affairs.

Colleges and Universities should have more awareness on campus about the current affairs. As a student you should be old enough and responsible enough to do your own research and read the papers, but as a campus on the whole, it should be important. I don't really like politics at all, or really even want to know about it, but I need to know about it. I don't want to go to war or to cut down the rainforest, if I don't pay attention these and other things will go on without my knowledge and then when it is done I will care, but it is too late.

So many people don't even turn out to vote, let alone know who they are voting for. My roommate would have said I was one of them because I did not vote as she did, but I did my homework and voted accordingly. I suppose I would like to change the campaign as well. Why do we simply bash the other candidates and not focus on ourselves and our good qualities. I would much rather learn about what a candidate is good at rather than what skeletons are in their closets. The commercials used to simply bash the other party are worthless and make me loose respect for all parties. The debates where things are pointed out that I don't really need to know, because if I am paying attention and aware of my government, I will know basically when they are "stretching the truth" (they are politicians, they always are). But I want to hear what you, the candidate are going to do and what you want to see happen and what you think is best for the nation, not simply that you are a better choice than the other guy - I can make that dicision for myself.

So I am not sure if I was struck upside the head with this, or if it has just been a long enduring headache, but this is something I think we need ot change - we need to remember what our constitutions says and what this nation is founded on and remember that we came to the new world to excape oppressive governments. But we will have no excuse when it comes to that and we find that we the people are to blame because we didn't take the time to be aware.