I never wanted to be involved in politics. I’d rather read a novel than a newspaper. I like my Twitter feed filled with Disney, my Tumblr filled with Supergirl. I’d rather see #PrettyLittleLiars than #muslimban. And, until about year ago, I could do that. I could live in my little MALIBUbble, content to discuss politics on occasion in class but never bring them up on my own, to fav tweets I agreed with but never retweet them. I knew politics were important, but they didn’t seem to directly affect me. I considered myself economically conservative, socially liberal, and just someone who disliked politics altogether. And for eight years, that’s what most of the country did. There were disputes, there were controversies, but they flared up and died down. They were dealt with in moderation, (mostly) peacefully. I didn’t agree with plenty of things, but, right or wrong, I was never that worried about it.
Then, Trump got elected. And for the first time in my life, everything became about politics. My Twitter feed, full of authors andDisneyy fans, was suddenly filled with articles and commentaries of every view. People are genuinely scared of our government, in a way I’ve never seen before. My bubble, and the bubble of many college students, wasn’t just popped, it was skewered straight through and set to roast. All I wanted was to bury my head in the sand, but the sand had turned to sheetrock. No matter which side you’re on, it’s been chaos. If there’s one good thing that’s come from this chaos, it’s that people (like me) are invested in politics like never before. I didn’t want to be, but I am. I have no choice but to care.
At the same time, I’m thankful. I’m thankful that I can protest, without fearing for my life. I’m thankful I have the right to free speech, that I can tweet what I’d like without VPN. I spent a year in China; they don’t have these rights there. We consider these to be universal rights, but they aren’t, they’re national rights, and they can be taken away. These rights are a gift. Use them. Exercise that right. Our First Amendment rights are not something that are a default, they’re something to be fought for and protected. In this political climate, use them or lose them. Start educating yourself. Start standing up for what you believe, because your voice matters.
We don’t have a choice anymore. We have to care.