Why Does it Matter?
If you’re reading this, thank you! I’m a simple teacher of high school history and government from Missouri. I don’t know that I have any great insights to offer about why the study of history, government, civics and politics matters. What I hope to do is simply help people think about (and talk about) the important issues of our day and our past.
Some people love to talk about these things, but most people don’t. We may not love taking deep dives into historical and civics-related issues. Most would rather do almost anything else. So why does doing so matter, even if you don’t like it?
We are a republic (more on that later). As such, we the citizens are in charge. If we choose not to learn about and participate in the system, someone else will. Those people may not have your best interest in mind.
Most avoid talk of anything political for perfectly logical reasons. First and foremost, political issues are controversial. Controversy can cause conflict. Most of us don’t like conflict. We figure that events will proceed in the exact same manner whether or not we engage with the system. This is rational, but it doesn’t make it a good idea.
Many of you have been told - and have likely told others - to never talk about politics or religion. In my view, this is one of the biggest challenges to self-government today. We refuse to engage each other for fear of giving offense or being offended.
A republic cannot operate in this manner. To refuse to engage the difficult issues of the past and present is to give up the chance to convince others of your position. More importantly, it is a refusal to listen to and learn from our fellow citizens.
If we are unhappy with the status quo, we must engage each other. This will often make us uncomfortable. Do it anyway.
Our system will only work when we have a robust public discourse. In the absence of this kind of discourse, our democracy becomes majoritarianism with no respect for the rights of the minority. Why would the majority respect the rights of the minority when they don’t talk to each other?
We complain about Congress acting in this very manner, lamenting that they simply bicker without accomplishing anything. We say that “they” don’t do anything and that “they” aren’t looking out for us.
My friends, “we” send “them” to Congress. Our lack of substantive engagement is a signal for them to act in the same manner. If we desire better from our elected representatives, we must first demand better from ourselves.
That’s why I’m here. I’d love to hear any feedback you have or ideas moving forward. Thanks so much for reading!