I was thinking the other day about today’s political environment and how it seems to be driven by grievance, performative behavior, division and chaos. And maybe it’s a symptom of being older and more invested/interested in politics now versus when I was younger but I do not remember politics being so loud. I often wonder to myself if I should give myself kudos for knowing and recognizing so many of the folks in congress, on the courts and even in political reporting or punish myself. I didn’t know any of these people when I was younger. Sure, I knew the President, maybe could recognize the Vice-President but definitely couldn’t recognize the congresswomen from Texas or a Senator from California.
Politics was quieter – at least to me.
Things are so much noisier now. Much of this is due to the rise of cable news but we had cable news in my young adult world. I do not like the performative nature of our politics. I do not like how it seems to be a zero-sum game now. How things have changed.
At least for me.
For the folks who voted in the last presidential election for the first time – our 18-21 years old folks – this political environment is normal. It is all you have known. I wonder, how can anyone like how this is going, and then I realize that if this is all you know then this is normal.
It’s normal to break norms (seems a funny thing to write). It’s “normal” to have little to no respect for those with different thoughts on how things should go. It’s “normal” to have alternative facts. It’s normal to attack all the time.
I don’t like it but by recognizing that this environment is all some people know, it helps reconcile things in my mind. And then it helps me form my thoughts that may help reduce my chaos while offering an opportunity for a calmer conversation than the new “normal.”
Just something to think about…
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