We’ve heard it all before. “I don’t really know anything about politics.” “They don’t interest me.” “I choose not to get involved.” People often say these things with a sense of pride, as if they’ve accomplished something no one else has thought of before. The thing is, being “apolitical” is just a fancy way of saying “I’m in a privileged enough position that I don’t have to care about politics because they are not directly affecting me.” I understand that sometimes people are simply uneducated about politics and the issues surrounding it, but actively choosing to not have an opinion or take a stance is plain-and-simple ignorance.
I was talking to a friend on the phone a few nights ago when I mentioned my feelings of dread and anxiety about the 2020 election, and my friend kind of chuckled and asked me why I was so upset. Confused, I explained that the closer we get to election day, the more concerned I was getting about the outcome; the stakes have never been higher, and it scares me to think about what comes next. They laughed again and said, “See, this is why I don’t get involved in politics. It causes too much unnecessary stress!”
But it is necessary. That’s the problem; now, more than ever, we need to be stressed about the results of this election. We should all have been actively concerned about and worried about the results because even though Joe Biden has won, things could still get ugly. We’ve all seen the videos of major cities like Denver and D.C. boarding up their stores in preparation for the election as if we live in the apocalypse. Yes, politics may be stressful and polarized, but they mean the difference between life or death for many.
Claiming to be “apolitical” in a time like this is just not an option. You choose the side of the oppressor when you choose nothing because you do nothing to aid in a positive change. You don’t have to analyze current political science trends or know the names of every Senator to be involved — all you have to do is care about others and pay attention. There is too much going on to say that we are better off doing nothing.