Friday, February 8, 2019

Crystal Bawling

It seemed like a fairly easy Tuesday morning assignment:  do a preview of the president's State of the Union address, set for that evening.  I was looking for a hook, so I decided to focus on college kids.  After all, they are the future.  Get out the crystal ball.  What do you want to hear the president say?  What topics should he avoid?

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.  I hit two colleges.  The overwhelming responses were "I don't know anything about it." and "I don't have an opinion."  I didn't sense much remorse over the lack of knowledge.  They knew nothing, and didn't seem to care.

😢  I wept.  I was going to keep my yap shut about this, but I cannot resist.

I know it's college and most students are worried about the big paper, the big test, the big game, the big date, the big tuition bill...  But, you have to know what's going on in the world around you.  Donald Trump is the most written and talked about president in American history.   Remember, there was no social media during Nixon and Watergate.  How can you NOT know what's going on?  How can you NOT have an opinion?

The clock was ticking.  I didn't have time to wait for a political science class or something similar.

I do realize I come at this from a different perspective.  I was always a news junkie, even as a kid.  I did my first radio newscast when I was 17 years old.  It seemed silly at the time, but thank you to a junior high history teacher for dedicating a little time every week to "current events."  I think it's safe to say there isn't nearly enough of that happening today, regardless of institution.

An informed electorate means a strong democracy.  Let's get with the program.

And, while I'm on the topic of the State of the Union, I do know it is "We the People."  I want to hear the speech, regardless of party.  I want to hear the response, regardless of party.  I don't care about the guests and the theatrics, regardless of party.  This is one of those "toothpaste out of the tube" issues.  I can't see going back to the way things were.