Levi Stoep (Calvin College) on American Values
March 22, 2012
We are all feeling a lot of pressure during this election season. It’s easy to get lost in the Facebook updates, the Tweets, arguments at family Christmas, the candidate bloopers, and of course the avalanche of the almighty political bumper stickers. Political spin has left us… well, spinning as some of us try to figure out what it is all worth. The issues unite some and divide others as we, the humbly confused voter, attempt to gear up for our day in November.
Nothing makes me happier than confused voters complaining about automated phone calls and two dozen debates that take precedent over the air time allotted for the newest episode in the 53rd season of Survivor. I love seeing the exact same political ads play back to back in between show breaks and watching as Stephen Colbert makes his own Super PAC.
Is this some sort of sick love for media-induced torture that I have? Nope, it is quite the opposite. I admire these inhabitants of the political realm. Members in both parties serve as leaders for their ideas and the constituents that agree with them.
This trait of competition of ideas is present in all spectrums of our society. Politicians fight one another for votes, Hollywood fights to tell stories that need to be heard, journalists trade jabs with one another in blistering lines of Times New Roman font.
The tent-dwellers of Occupy Wall Street and campaign volunteers make a lot of noise in our streets, but these noisy men and women are the same ones who pushed for transformation all throughout our nation’s history.
This scrapper mentality is the common value that all Americans share. Whether an extrovert who leads a protest or the introvert who adamantly blogs about it, the modern day American shares the same values as our countrymen before us. The drive to fight for purpose quells other aspects of the more materialistic centered rhythm of human history. We see our nation filled with people who are willing to change the status quo of race, gender, or inequality, no matter how difficult.
Now, I want you to understand it is ok to like the 53rd season of Survivor. But I don’t mind if I have to stream it offline. Witnessing a country grow and mature is pretty cool too.
Is this some sort of sick love for media-induced torture that I have? Nope, it is quite the opposite. I admire these inhabitants of the political realm. Members in both parties serve as leaders for their ideas and the constituents that agree with them.
This trait of competition of ideas is present in all spectrums of our society. Politicians fight one another for votes, Hollywood fights to tell stories that need to be heard, journalists trade jabs with one another in blistering lines of Times New Roman font.
The tent-dwellers of Occupy Wall Street and campaign volunteers make a lot of noise in our streets, but these noisy men and women are the same ones who pushed for transformation all throughout our nation’s history.
This scrapper mentality is the common value that all Americans share. Whether an extrovert who leads a protest or the introvert who adamantly blogs about it, the modern day American shares the same values as our countrymen before us. The drive to fight for purpose quells other aspects of the more materialistic centered rhythm of human history. We see our nation filled with people who are willing to change the status quo of race, gender, or inequality, no matter how difficult.
Now, I want you to understand it is ok to like the 53rd season of Survivor. But I don’t mind if I have to stream it offline. Witnessing a country grow and mature is pretty cool too.
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