Something I have noticed in the past couple of months especially is that when I am talking with my friends or peers and a political topic comes up, many people my age shy away from the conversation. Some say “I don’t want to get political” or “I’m not into politics” as if those words excuse their unwillingness to converse. 

I believe that in this day and age, it is impossible to “not get political.” In fact, please do get political. There is a line between politics and ethics, and in our current times, this line has become ultra blurred. It has become increasingly difficult to see where the policies end and the moral dilemmas begin in our nation. For this reason, it is crucial that we stay informed and aware of the ongoing events that may not necessarily affect our Lake Oswego community but affect countless others outside of our bubble. 

It is impossible to not get political when the cost of living is through the roof and millions of Americans can’t afford healthcare. When the accountability standard is so low for ICE agents who are detaining and killing citizens and tearing apart families. When our constitution, the basis on which our nation was founded, seems to hold less and less significance in the eyes of those in power. When extremism is so quickly weaved into the threads of most online media that we consume. When our president has been so closely tied to a convicted sex offender. When Artificial Intelligence is destroying our environment click by click, and when so many people in our nation are living in fear of detention simply due to the way they look or speak. 

I think that oftentimes people avoid speaking about politics for fear of being incorrect or inaccurate. To this I say: read. Read the news as many days of the week as you can. Sign up for a daily newsletter and educate yourself the best you can. I recommend The Morning Newsletter from the New York Times.The best way to fight injustice is knowledge, and we are depriving ourselves of this power by not reading or keeping up with the current events in our nation and global community. 

Others of my peers are afraid of conversing about politics because they believe that their opinions might be deemed controversial or because they might face disagreement. I think it is crucial to understand that educating yourself doesn’t mean that you need to have the same opinion as everyone else around you. To me, it means that you take the time to form your own well rounded opinion based on facts and accurate sources. It is okay to have a controversial opinion as long as it is well grounded. As humans, there is no way we will agree on everything all of the time. In fact, disagreement fuels creativity and allows us to see important and differing sides to every issue. I appreciate when people have different political ideology and opinions than I do, as long as they are thoughtfully formed. 

There is no such thing as “too political” when our generation is the future. It is solely up to us to find solutions to the pressing issues that face our nation everyday. We can no longer afford to be bystanders to the news and current events that stack up each day. We have gotten to a point where it is simply irresponsible of us to willingly turn a blind eye to conflicts in our nation because they don’t directly affect us. Despite how polarized we might be right now, our nation is a community and something that affects part of our community indirectly affects us all. 

With all of this said, I urge you to get political. Inform yourself and take a stance. Get involved in conversations and share solutions because we are our nation’s greatest hope.