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 OPEN YOUR EARS AND LISTEN! - Google
Thursday, March 22, 2012 By Luke S.
In the words of Woodrow Wilson:
"The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people."
This quote is a perfect lead into the next part of politics; L is for listening.
Listening is arguably the most important aspects of U.S. politics because in the U.S. we use a representative government. A representative government is run by elected officials who collaborate to run our government. In meetings where decisions are made, it is the responsibility of our elected officials to act as the people’s voice. These individuals, elected for their ideas matched the majority of people in their voting area.
Candidates for each political party must try to earn the support of party members by reaching out to voters. Personal views set aside, candidates often focus on the people they will be representing. If by chance a candidate is not worried about their people, they most certainly should not be voted into office. Why would you want people who are only worried about themselves in office? These people are supposed to get our thoughts into the discussions of the government, but how can they act properly when they are stuck on personal agendas?
The bottom line of this whole ordeal is that I want MY opinion to be shown in our government and so should you. Whether it be the Wisconsin state government, the national government, or even international affairs, I want my voice to be heard. Because I am not an elected official, I can not actually present my thoughts to the nation; however, my voice should be delivered by those officials whom I elected. The only way for those politicians to get my opinion and the opinion of others, is by sitting down, opening up their ears, and listening.
I can not stress the importance of listening enough. It is important in every aspect of life, whether it be school related, job oriented, or in this case the field of politics. As I was writing this blog, I found inspiration from the poem included below. I invite you to read and reflect when you are finished. Enjoy!
Please Listen
-Author Unknown
When I ask you to listen to me
and you start giving me advice,
you have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me
and you begin to tell me why
I shouldn't feel that way,
you are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me
and you feel you have to do something
to solve my problem,
you have failed me,
strange as that may seem.
Listen! All I ask is that you listen.
Don't talk or do---just hear me.
Advice is cheap; 20 cents will get
you both Dear Abby and Billy Graham
in the same newspaper.
And I can do for myself; I am not helpless.
Maybe discouraged and faltering,
but not helpless.
When you do something for me that I can
and need to do for myself,
you contribute to my fear and
inadequacy.
But when you accept as a simple fact
that I feel what I feel,
no matter how irrational,
then I can stop trying to convince
you and get about this business
of understanding what's behind
this irrational feeling.
And when that's clear, the answers are
obvious and I don't need advice.
Irrational feelings make sense when
we understand what's behind them.
Perhaps that's why prayer works, sometimes,
for some people---because God is mute,
and he doesn't give advice or try
to fix things.
God just listens and lets you work
it out for yourself.
So please listen, and just hear me.
And if you want to talk, wait a minute
for your turn---and I will listen to you.
Shop Talk’s Politics
P = Participation, O = Opinion, L = Listening, *I = ???, *T = ???, *I = ???, *C = ???, *S = ???
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