This is the second installment of our week-long series of guest bloggers. The subject is “Why should I care about politics?” Today’s article was written by “Phantomlord” from Rochester Conservative, another fantastic blog.

Phantomlord

The cost of milk, how much money health insurance costs you, how much money you can save for retirement without having to be taxed on it, whether or not your town puts up Christmas lights, whether or not you can put a pool in your yard. All reasons why politics should matter to you.

Our governments, big or small, federal or local, regulate nearly every facet of our lives. It is easy to forget that since, in most cases, the governments don’t micromanage our lives, but almost everything you do is regulated.

The structure of your house, the safety features of your car, accounting methods at your work, the food you serve your family and the pillow you go to sleep on. All of them are regulated.

Most people cling to the idea that government has no business in their daily lives, but as time goes on, politicians feel a need to show you that they are doing something, anything, for your behalf to show they deserve their paycheck and your vote in the next election. Sometimes, those things are big and important, like whether or not our country should go to war, other times, they’re minor, like the the size of holes in your swiss cheese. As long as politicians keep their noses out of our homes, we tend to forget that they’re actually hiding in the walls like cockroaches.

Politics is a dirty word to many people, they think of scandal, corruption and a ruling class. Politics, at its most fundamental level, is the art of convincing others that your idea is something that should be considered. A successful politician is someone who manages to promote their ideas and gains favor to get others to follow him. This can happen in both the government or at the office. It’s vital to understand the process, both so you can protect yourself from politicians and also so you can promote yourself as well as your own ideas.

However apathetic most people are, there is usually at least one issue they feel strongly about. Maybe it’s abortion or smoking. Maybe it’s the economy or global warming. Maybe it’s illegal immigration or health care. Maybe it’s just grilled cheese sandwiches. The fact is, no matter what your issue is, there is almost certainly a group fighting to change the status quo or maybe you want to keep the status quo and counter the call for change. You can sit in your house and do nothing or you can choose to be active.

Now, being active doesn’t mean you need to go form a picket line. It doesn’t mean you have to become a candidate. It doesn’t mean you have to donate money to someone advocating your cause. It doesn’t even mean you have to participate in a blog. All you have to do is find out who supports your goals and vote for them. Obviously, the more you do to advance your cause, the more you help to advance your cause. But if you sit at home and can’t even be bothered to vote, you have little or no room to complain if your raison d’etre succumbs to the forces opposed to it.

But we’re still left with that question, why should you care about politics?

Because everything you care about, every facet of your life, is affected by it. Even if you don’t care, someone else does. Would you rather have a voice in your life or let others dictate it for you?

Phantomlord

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Phantomlord, located in Western New York, is one of the co-founders of RochesterConservative.com, a blog dedicated to bringing the message of conservative principles to a city and state which are often devoid of them.