My entire life, I have been told there is one thing you never discuss, and that is politics. People have tried to explain to me that speaking about political issues causes too many disagreements and that you are better off avoiding those conversations, but how is it helpful to refuse to talk about something that is seen as controversial? The only way to get people to understand our views is by expressing them.

Now more than ever, talking about politics should be imperative to all of us. Decisions are being made constantly that disenfranchise marginalized groups, and pretending like those problems are not there will not make the situation better. It does not matter that you think it is "rude" to talk about politics with others. We have to all make a point of making our voices heard, whether it is with our friends, family, classmates, or anyone else because choosing to stay silent. It is what causes people without a voice to be mistreated.

I have encountered many people in my life that believe that politics is too boring to keep up with and that they have better things to spend their time on. Obviously, I am not saying that you should drown yourself with news articles at every waking moment, but it is incredibly obvious that deciding to not pay attention to what happens in the world means you are privileged. You do not feel the need to stay up to date with politics because you know deep down that any decision that is made will most likely not negatively affect you. Instead of brushing off politics because it does not provide you with enough entertainment, you should be taking advantage of your privilege and using it to amplify the voices of people who are not being heard by their governments.

Some people seem to think that avoiding political conversations all together makes them edgy and different when really it just makes you seem uneducated. People try to convince themselves that it is pointless to pay attention to politics because politicians will ultimately do as they please, so shouldn't that spark a fire in you to make sure that you are making an impact? If you want to force your politicians to listen to what you have to say, then you should take action! Go to protests, vote in every election, and call your representatives. If you convince yourself that your voice does not matter, then you will never be able to change what you do not like about your government.

And in case you want to be involved in politics but do not know how to be, then your social media can be a place to start. Twitter is a great tool to use to get notifications from news outlets when they post articles, and it is also a way to be able to hear other people's thoughts about political issues. Political movements have also gathered support from social media, so being a part of those online communities keeps you in the loop of where protests are happening and how you can be involved.