I promise there will be no talk of political parties or persuasion, just a love for politics as a whole.
Voting, as always
One aspect that is talked about often is voting. I'm not going to give you the whole spiel, but PLEASE REGISTER TO VOTE. Anyways, now that that's out of the way, I think it's important to note why people should. I hear often that politicians are bad, and that people can't trust their own elected representatives because they take money from various interest groups. My thing with that is, no matter their political beliefs, they got there by vote. You know what can change that? Your vote. Think that won't change a thing? Try it. Tried it to no success? Well, I'm not going to lie, your vote is only one, but that doesn't mean you can't get out there and volunteer for a campaign. Make some phone calls, campaign on foot going door-to-door, get out there and represent who you want in office in public events. Get the word out there. It is up to the citizens of the area to choose a representative and with your help, that underdog or powerhouse politician can make it to the seat that they deserve. Make your vote count for more than one. Show up, try to make a change, and then you can say you've done your best no matter the results.
Take action to get the results you wish to see
Here's the thing about being politically active, the rush never stops. There's always a story to share on Facebook, a sticker to plaster on a crowded laptop, and a person to talk to that doesn't know how they feel. That instant gratification? I get that from everything I do to inform more people about the people representing them, who could represent them, or proposed impacts of legislation. There is not a day that goes by that policy is not impacting me in some way. You can look around you and see it in action, in the way taxes are collected, guns are sold, driving is restricted, and almost anything else you can think of. It's all in the statutes, as crazy as it is. The more you spread the word, volunteer for campaigns, share posts on Facebook, do research and post your own, you can help others learn more and even learn more yourself. I believe that the more politically active one is, the more they can help make a difference in their community, their state, and even country. There is no limit to what you can do, only a limit to what you won't.
Finding my love, oddly enough
I'm asked my major quite often, and I get the opportunity to watch their faces go from a state of curiosity to one of complete and utter dissatisfaction. Political Science. Okay, I know it sounds boring, but I LOVE politics. I don't know why I do, trust me I've tried finding the reason. I recall back from the seventh grade, talking on the phone with my best friend at the time during the Presidential Elections of 2012 explaining why her parents should vote for Obama and not Romney. Do you really think that many seventh graders were interested in politics? No, and she was included in that disinterest. My point is, I believe some people find that their dream lays in sports, health, companies, but mine is in government. Again, I know it's seen as boring, but I feel that such dramatic laws come out of these legislatures and with how much this world could use a change as it is, that writing and voting on bills for a living would be no issue for me. Yes, that includes taxes, I'm already aware.
It's a FamOILy
My passion for politics not only encourages me to be active but pushes me to be a part of it. I want to be apart of the change that can happen, that everyone wants to see. I have my own personal vision for our future, but that's for another article. I want to dive right in and write legislation, getting into the grunt work for all of the changes, preferably at the state level.
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a student-run mock government here at the University of Oklahoma. The greater organization reaches multiple universities in the state of Oklahoma who all come together once a semester for Session. There could not have been a better fit for my vision of my dream. Getting the chance to sit in same seats as Representatives and Senators in the Oklahoma State Legislature was incredible; I've never had such strong career goals where I could visibly see the path to accomplish, as well as see myself happy every day doing it. This organization, the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature has truly pushed to loving my major even more and gives me pride in my passion.
