Unfashionable?

Dear friends and family,
I am writing today to talk to you about politics. YA, I know - your thinking to yourself something like "I don't have time for this"
or "I know what I believe and don't need anyone else's opinion"
or even "I just don't care."

What I want to talk about is why did thinking about how our country handles itself become unfashionable? Why is it not "cool" to talk about politics? Why Why would anyone worry about sending an email to their friends, co-workers and family about politics?
Have you ever really thought about why you or people around you might feel that way?

Could it possibly be that we just don't want the complication? Maybe it's because we have so much on our plate to fight for in our personal lives that it seems impossible to even think about taking on "everyone else's problems". Work, credit card bills, car payments, home mortgage, kid's college fund, student loans, that new iPhone you want, doing your taxes. Thinking about other people's problems seems impossible when you are covered up by all that! Possibly you are like I am (non-argumentative) and feel that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and it is not your place to argue the points of Democrats vs. Republicans and possibly alienate a friend in the process. And maybe it's just because politics are depressing or just downright BORING!

Speaking of taxes, If you have been working long you are painfully aware of how many taxes we pay. You spend a lot of time keeping your checkbook balanced and going over that credit card statement looking for false charges that hackers might have made. This may seem stupid, but why wouldn't you want to do that with the 20% or so of YOUR money that ends up in the government's hands?
In the words of Homer Simpson: "BORRR- ING!"
That's right I hate doing taxes and checking my bank statements too. I would rather keep up on the latest internet socializing systems like Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace. I would rather play video games with my friends on my broadband internet connection. Frankly, I would rather surf the internet all day for silly videos on Youtube! Guys in suits bickering loudly and obnoxiously on Fox news is not fun and watching the president make silly faces and comments sometimes is fun, but not that much.

Yes, it would seem that we feel politics and government are not fun or exciting and just get in the way of our daily lives. And who wants to spend their free time arguing with friends or neighbors about issues that seem or ARE literally a world away? Most of us work so hard that when some time comes along that is our own we want to do what WE want. We want some happy time or relax time. We don't want the hard work of "caring" for our society/country/neighborhood, etc. We don't want reminders of the seemingly OVERWHELMING problems that our "leaders" face daily. We pay politicians to do that for us right?

Everyone, I am not writing to tell you to vote for Hillary or send money to the Republican party.
I am writing today to ask you to care. I need you to care. The country needs you to care! Please consider spending a set amount of time every day or every other day to stay current on the actions of our government and when you don't like something then SAY SOMETHING!

The fact is that our country is supposed to be run by it's people and frankly we have been slackers and are not doing our job. Those politicians we pay have caught wind of this and have done some things recently that leave us out of the process. WE are an integral part of our government that was set up so long ago. WE are supposed to keep those politicians doing what we want and to keep them afraid of US! They need to ask us humbly for permission to do things that will affect us all and when we want something they should jump.

I need you, your kids need you, your family and friends need you. Your country needs you to DO something. Say Something. Please don't let us down.

-Rusty Coonfield
rustycoon33@gmail.com


PS:
If you really have had your head buried in your DVD collection then you don't know about the recent events I am talking about. PLEASE find out!

Recipe for social action:
1. Watch/read many news channels to try and get the facts about a current event.
2. (Most important step) FORM AN EDUCATED OPINION!
    a) When something sounds fishy then found out what steps were taken to create a just and fair outcome.
3. Write a letter to your friends and leaders (congressman, mayor, governor, president)
4. Vote at elections based on what you have learned over the year not based on what your friends think. Be your own boss!
5. Recipe is so easy there is no step five!


Writing this letter took me 15 minutes. Watching the movie that inspired me to do it took 2 hours and I got to eat popcorn too!
Please pass this on to every American you know so we can all enjoy a better life.

technorati tags:politics, american