deep thought for a Monday morning

[anotheranon]

I talked to my friend G. on the phone over the weekend - it's been awhile since we chatted, so we did some catching up.

The conversation turned to politics, the recent March for Women's Lives, and one thing G. said stuck in my mind: she's not been following politics lately because she has too much else on her plate. Like a lot of my friends and acquaintances, she's underemployed, constantly trying to make ends meet, going without insurance, etc. It's not that she's apathetic, it's that she's so filled with anxiety over immediate problems that she simply can't concentrate on the world at large.

I wonder how many other people are going through the same thing - so busy chasing the rent check that they're too tired or preoccupied to be outraged by the Iraq prisoner scandal or any of the other national messes.

Comments

[semmie17.livejournal.com]

I do commend you on your efforts of raising the conciousness of your students and see that you care very passionately on the local level, and I commend you for standing up for your curriculum against the irate parent :)

Perhaps we both agree, but we're seeing the issue from different perspectives. I can't pound on my congressman, so I pound on my students to do the right thing, and give then the ethical and logical reasons why it is important to be tolerant and respectful. I don't see politicians as being evil as much as they are just *stoopid* and unaware of classical mistakes. Granted, ignorance can cause just as much damage as deliberate injury.

Am I a news junkie? Well, duh :P And you do make me think that perhaps I should try to do more in small ways, on the local level, rather than taking on the whole of Washington myself (it's tempting, being so nearby). There is something to be said for the whole "think globally, act locally" thing.

Yes, give it a try. You can't do anything about the torture scandal, but perhaps you could volunteer for just two hours every other week at a women's shelter, helping women learn computer skills so that they can get a job -- and so they can get away from a husband who is beating them to death. In my mind, that effort would be constructive and satisfying, and your energy would be much better used doing that than worrying about world events. What do you think? :))

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

A conversation with you is often thought provoking - thank you! I do have some new perspectives to ponder...

[semmie17.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. :)