Inevitably, every political conversation I've ever had in a semi-public place involves a bystander jumping in just long enough to say "I don't really care about politics."

That's always really, really bugged me, in part because I'm a self-professed political nerd who gets probably too into this kind of stuff. But in another, more serious way, it annoys me because politics isn't something you can just not care about. You can brush off the pageantry and melodrama of it, sure. In fact, it's probably better for both your sanity and your decision-making skills if you do. But who is in charge of this country and what policies they enact is too important to not care about.

The politicians you support are going to help determine how much you pay in taxes, what foreign policy role America takes in the world, and if we confront climate change. The farmers struggling to make ends meet as a consequence of the ongoing US-China trade war don't have the luxury of not caring about politics.

Additionally, if you're LGBT, a woman, or a person of color in this country, politics has a more personal impact on your daily life than it does for many other people. For instance, the accessibility of women's healthcare is greatly impacted by the political affiliations of those in power. But it's not just legislation that has these effects; the political climate elicited by these politicians can just have just as much of an impact. Since the election of Donald Trump, for example, the nation has seen a spike in hate crimes that many experts attribute at least in part to his divisive rhetoric and the zealousness of his supporters. Ignoring the impact politics has on the lives and wellbeing of so many marginalized groups isn't an issue of interest: it's downright irresponsible.

Now, there is an argument I've heard that all politicians are inherently self-serving in the end and that supporting any member of an incredibly flawed political establishment is contributing to the problem. To this, I say "well, kinda." I very much doubt there exists an entirely selfless politician, especially at the federal level. Simply going into high-level politics requires both ambition and some level of self-importance. However, using that as a justification for entirely divorcing oneself from engagement in the political process isn't getting 'woke,' it's just abdicating any responsibility or hope for improving that system. If that's your view on US politics, then at the very least vote for candidates that advocate for issues you agree with, even if you don't think they're selfless in supporting them.

Voting for a third party candidate or, God forbid, not voting doesn't put you above the political fray: it simply says you don't particularly care what happens as long as you feel it doesn't personally affect you.