Knowledge as power
Legend’s View
There are a lot of things to be thankful for as a college student; the simple things like long nights, afternoon classes, summer jobs, new friends, new privileges, new knowledge, etc.These are all things we appreciate; things we have the ability to do because of our freedom of choice.
But as college students, we are also the upcoming generation of educated adults, expected to hold our jobs and places in support of our country.
As we are partying and enjoying the time we have in college, our country is changing in dynamics.
There are a lot of changes going on in Washington, D.C. right now, executed by our own representatives, that are challenging the roots of our nation and in turn challenging what the future will bring.
Whether we see these changes as good or bad is all subjective, but having that knowledge is pertinent to our generation’s part in the future of our country.
In the 1960s and 70s, the student population seemed to possess so much knowledge of what the government was doing that when they didn’t like something, they fought against it.
They not only recognized themselves as young adults, but as a new power in our country; they possessed the knowledge to fight for rights to their freedom.
Here we are, the new power of our country, and sometimes it seems like we can’t even get our facts straight. Instead, we’re obsessed with gadgets, clothes, cars…all of these materialistic accessories.
Students would probably be able to list the contestants on American Idol from last week, before they’d be able to name the current representatives of their own state.
American Idol won’t matter by the time the season is over, but those home-state representatives? They represent you. With the right to vote, the citizens in your state chose them to represent your (collective) decisions.
We have to get to know the policies and legislation being passed, how it’s passed and who our local representatives are if we ever want to have any profound effect.
Politics is a topic most college students don’t want to get involved with. It is a heavy topic and no two people ever seem to have the same opinion. It’s never much of a conversation – more of a debate – and we’re all just trying to have fun, right?
Just remember that while you’re having fun, changes are happening.
If we want to have any say in our future and the future of our country, we have to actually know what’s going on.
