By Lucie Phillips
In today’s turbulent context, people often lose faith in politics. However, what we fail to realise is that politicians respond to a demand. Democracy is such that if the population express the changes they want made, the government will respond. This does however call for people to voice their ideas and opinions. For this reason, one could argue that voting is a civil duty. You owe it to yourself and to your fellow citizens. Your vote, or lack of, has the power to influence change. It will ultimately determine the direction your country will be lead in.
When it comes to making decisions, humans are often guilty of thinking in moral absolutes. Moral absolutism is the ethical belief that there are certain standards against which moral questions can be judged, and that certain actions are right or wrong, regardless of context. As a population however, we need to realise that things are not intrinsically black or white. Almost always, a vast grey area separates two opposing extremes. In the context of politics, no single political party or candidate is without fault. Statements will be made on opposing sides that we do and don’t agree with. Therefore, we must not paint groups or individuals as saints or sinners. There is an element of good and bad to each entity. Ultimately, whoever represents our beliefs best will gain our vote. This does not mean that we are in full disagreement with the opposition. We need to be open minded and understanding of others points of view.
It’s crucial to explore both aspects of the argument before reaching a conclusion. Information should not come from a biased source. In today’s day and age, the media regularly distort reality. Social media is a platform used predominantly by the younger generations. For this reason, the majority of things broadcasted are more progressive. They tend to critique and bash those who are not politically correct. On the other hand, certain news channels have been accused of favouring certain political parties. Fox news has been accused by a wide range of academics of having conservative bias in their news coverage. If this is in fact true, you could argue that those who access information from these sources are being manipulated and ultimately brainwashed. We need to think critically and look for faults in people’s reasoning to access what we really believe.
The key to choosing between several political candidates is to assess them objectively. Unfortunately, people are often more susceptible to the way in which a candidate presents themselves, rather than what they actually stand for. The way in which a candidate expresses themselves and the gestures they use to accompany their words can enhance their image in the eyes of the people. We must, however, aim to delve deeper than the superficial layer. The surface does not encompass who people are as a whole. We live in a society where often a person’s worth is determined by their exterior. This notion is founded on ignorance because the outside is only a single facet. Judgement cannot be made unless all aspects have been explored.
We are all products of the education we’ve received and the environment in which we live. These factors shape the way we perceive and process the outside world. Opinions differ for this very reason. There is no universal answer that applies to us all; therefore, we must accept the fact that our priorities vary and ultimately we must be respectful of each other’s perspective while continuing to share our own.
