Do you think that adults should be aware of current events?

[mrsdrcook]

Its not easy when we have little ones with little patience for the "news" and the newsy sorts of shows/programs don't always have words that are appropriate for little ears. I like to listen to certain talk radio shows,but find myself having to explain for the vocabulary of the show host.

 

But still I know it is part of being an informed voter/citizen and even part of taking an interest in my children's future welfare.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I would say that it isn't just world events. My MIL was an elected offical. The kids and I stayed with them to help out during her second reelection campaign. It was an off year (no presidential or congressional races) but there were major ballot issues, including two important levies as well as school board and trustees (like a city council).

 

I worked one poll from opening until closing. It was so disheartening to watch people go in to vote without even knowing what was on the ballot. Then to listen to them when they came back out. Often, they'd stop by one of the campaign volunteers that they knew and ask what a couple of the measures meant. BUT they'd gone ahead and voted on them, not knowing anything about the issue or about the possible impact of the measures.

 

At one point I was standing with a former trustee who was running for re-election. He had been a trustee for a long time but had been out of office for at least four years. It was staggering the number of people who knew him well enough to say hello and greet him by name, but who thought that he was still in office and just running for re-election. In other words, for the last four years, they'd had no idea who was representing them. No idea who was making decisions for the township.

 

And this isn't a tiny little backwater. It is the largest township in the state, with over 50,000 people and departmental budgets that run several million dollars each.

 

I think this is more disheartening than people not knowing about the travesties of the Junta in Burma or the rise of nationalism in Russia or the recognition of sharia law in western Europe. Those are important too. But if a people can't even keep up with their own backyard, there is no reason to wonder at their lack of interest farther afield.

 

But then, I would also wish that adults would know more about history than what is served up from Hollywood. Or that they might actually know more about economics than the daily graphic offering on CNN. Or that they might occasionally read a book for pleasure. But that is probably going too far.