As a young person, I would identify myself as someone who is interested in politics. I write these pieces, I keep up to date with the news, and I look further into the laws that affect me and my future.

Politics play a role in my everyday life, therefore they hold a certain importance to me. I believe everyone should keep themselves informed of what’s going on in the political realm, no matter what that depth may be. To be informed of current political happenings is to be aware of what the future holds.

Despite the surge of young people speaking out on what they believe, a large number of our generation quite frankly does not care. They avoid politics and are almost completely unaware of any news concerning practically anything of importance. A quote from Martin Luther King Jr., comes to mind when it comes to this: “To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it.”

There is a difference between having no political party affiliation and simply not paying any attention to politics whatsoever. Saying “I don’t care who wins this election” does not make you an innocent bystander. Instead, it makes you an accomplice. How could one say that they didn’t care who won the election, when the outcome would have an effect on their future?

To me, saying that you don’t care means that you are okay with all of the negative actions of a particular candidate. People don’t need to be uber-political, but it’s important to at least be aware of the things that will have possible consequences in the long-term.

And, yes, I do understand that politics can be extremely stressful. Especially at times like these, when it feels like the world is caving in on itself.

Looking at the news and constantly seeing trending tags regarding the political turmoil of our country is definitely anxiety-provoking. Even I have to take a moment to calm down sometimes. When the riots were happening at the Capitol last Wednesday, I swear I could feel my blood boiling. Despite that, I want to know what’s happening in the world around me.

If a new law is being enacted that could affect my reproductive rights, I want to be informed of it. If the President is going to be impeached, I want to be informed of that. It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that there are people who simply do not care about the outcome of things.

As a person living in 2021, you cannot say you care about other people if you won’t disavow the people set out to hurt them. If you have friends that are transgender yet you don’t condemn Trump’s banning of them from the military, then you are not their ally. This may sound harsh, but I firmly believe it to be true.

You don’t need to be extremely immersed in politics, but everyone should at least stay informed of what’s happening. In not doing so, you are simply standing by and letting the bad guys win.