Do you ever feel like being politically aware is a burden?

[Cant trust em]

I remember working on the campaign in 2008 and knocking on people's doors talking about Obama. It's all I could think about and was such a huge part of my life. I remember thinking about the people who would give me some of their time when they'd rather be watching TV, playing with their kids, eating dinner etc. The election might have even been important to them, but they likely didn't feel any burden about what could happen to the country if their candidate lost. I'm sure that most of you feel that pressure as I did. Sometimes I wonder if any of this is healthy and if I'd be much better off just watching Lost or whatever instead of thinking about health care reform, or financial regulations, immigration, etc. This whole thing can be so draining at times. I'm getting my Masters in Public Policy, so I guess I've accepted my path, but sometimes I'd can't help but think that it would be better to just check out.

As an addition to the OP:
This whole train of thought got started by an innocent, completely non-political, e-mail my friend sent out. He wants to get a group of our friends together for this year's Bay 2 Breakers (an annual footrace held in San Francisco that winds up just being a roaming costume party through the city. It's the best day of the entire year, IMO). Someone responds to the e-mail asking if there is any cost to participate. Andy says that it's free and the only people who register are the ones who want to run. I say actually the fee is to pay to set up and clean up the race afterwords (police presence, closing off the street, additional public transit, portapotties, street cleaning afterwards, etc.). Andy responds back something about how the city owes us for all of the BS parking tickets. I could take this into a whole separate argument, but I decide to temper my urge. Wouldn't it be nice not to have these thoughts?

[LiberalLoner]

1. I understand what are you saying. I've often thought it would be better to

be much, much less aware than I am, of many things.

[spanone]

2. no. it's our responsiblility.

[CurtEastPoint]

3. Yes, but what's appalling is the # of friends I have who are so woefullyl IGNORANT ...

of ANYTHING political. Sad sad sad. I try to educate them.

[Cant trust em]

11. I've added to my OP a quick story about why I'm even thinking about this.

[PDJane]

4. It depends, in large part,

about how much responsibility you feel for the path that your country takes and what it is doing to the world.

[WCGreen]

5. A kick for empathic feelings but agreement that it is our calling...

[Gman2]

6. I wish I could stop, my health depends on it, course, my health depends on it.

[NeedleCast]

7. Yes

Great question, by the way.

I think it can be emotionally draining. I'd say 75% of my friends have little or no interest in politics. They vote for whoever their parents are voting for, generally.

For me, its an investment of time and money. Time volonteering for campaigns, money spent contributing to campaigns.

There's also an emotional investment, plus time spent educating myself about candidates.

[walldude]

8. I have a friend who relys on me to keep him informed.

I give him the best and worst bullet points. He is the most easy going happiest guy I know. He could care less about the government or what they do. There are times I wish I was more like him.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. "Getting into politics is like stepping in dogshit." From "The Motorcycle Diaries"

[Jennicut]

10. It is like being in the Matrix, once you know the reality, it is impossible to go back.

The people who live oblivious to it all live in a different world.

[Cant trust em]

13. I'm going to quote that some time.

That's totally how I feel.

[Jennicut]

14. I feel it everyday because my parents are diehard conservatives.

I swear we live in different realities!

[Cant trust em]

15. I'd rather deal with conservatives than people who just aren't involved.

Sometimes I just feel like I'm talking to myself.

[Citizen Kang]

22. And why do people just tune out?

Is it because of the disgusting nature of politics?

[Jennicut]

26. I can deal with apolitical people, my husband is one. I just have to educate him...

over and over again. I can't talk to my parents at all about politics. My Dad used to get in shouting matches at me and both my parents remain convinced that someday I will see the light. They think I am young and naive. I am 34, married almost 9 years, and have two kids. I think they forget that sometimes.

[prairierose]

18. This is what I was thinking but you expressed it with...

so much more clarity than what was running through my head. Thanks for the clarity.

[druidity33]

12. every freaking day...

I work in a restaurant in liberal Massachusetts that is owned and staffed by right wing folk. Fox news is on at least 1 screen 24/7. I am constantly refuting ignorant lies. The people there spew talking point after talking point. I get sneers when i sit at the bar and read a book after my shift. Usually i choose a provocative title like The Dark Side of Christian History or A People's History of the US or Small is Beautiful. I think the rest of the staff is kinda scared of me because i won't back down. I have been heard to loudly proclaim "You Lie!" before... it can be fun.


:)

[Greyhound]

16. It is a burden and it is supposed to be. Our government is supposed to be "our government"

and the only way that can be is if the citizens are politically aware and active.

What we have now is the abomination and underlying cause of the clusterfuck that our world has turned into. It's all our fault.

[Control-Z]

17. Yes. I often wish

I could just turn it off, unlearn what I know, stop caring...

[Coyote_Bandit]

19. Not a burden so much as

a fucking waste of time.

[Nikki Stone1]

20. Yes.

All the time.

[treestar]

21. Yes. Sometimes just being intelligent is!

I have some moments at times of envying those stupid girls or women I am sometimes around - they are having such a good time, and are so happy, but I can't get excited about sales and shopping and so I'm bored. But to be so easily made happy - just having what you need - seems enviable at times.

Though I think those are moments of weakness.

[Bluebear]

23. Absolutely.

[lonestarnot]

24. Keeping an eye on my country is my duty as an American.

[Libertyfirst]

25. It is the burden of self-government, of democracy, in other words it is a privilege.

[Mnemosyne]

27. "There's nothing I can do about it anyway." n/t

[hobbit709]

28. Sometimes just being aware is a burden

[Prism]

29. Not particularly

Everyone prioritizes what's important to them and their family and worries accordingly.

I know it's a little easy to poke fun at people for watching TV or zoning out or playing video games. But oftentimes, it's what they do to decompress after a long working day, to escape the pressures of whether or not they'll even have a job next week or be able to keep food on the table or be able to keep their family healthy or pay for them when they get sick.

Everyone needs to decompress.

Also, many people don't like to talk about their politics, particularly to strangers.

The point being, we really have no idea what's going on in anyone's heads. Just because we're very vocal doesn't mean someone who's quiet isn't also carrying the same burden in the back of their mind.

Also, I'd beware that "politically aware" label. Many who fancy themselves aware often aren't too much. There's a rather large chasm between knowing whether or not the home team won last Sunday's game, and the passer rating of the second string QB for the past three seasons. There are levels of awareness.

Anyway, politics are what they are. They'll never change. no use getting worked up over people doing what people do. You know what keeps me up at night? The universe. I need to stop reading these damn astronomy textbooks. They're freaking me out.