(Sometimes) Opinionated

I don't think that people should have political careers. It's not that politics and politicians shouldn't exist, they should. What I mean is that if someone decides to work in politics, then I believe that they should only be allowed to do so for a predetermined amount of time.

This would serve multiple purposes and hopefully resolve some problems. Today, many politicians are not willing to make tough calls or unpopular decisions. They are worried about making everyone like them, so that they can get reelected. But if reelection didn't matter, if they weren't selfish, then they'd be able to take on these challenges.

Running for office should be a public service, a selfless act. So, why has it become a selfish one? Money plays an entirely too big of a role - from campaigns to conventions. If political careers didn't exist, then there would be no room for selfishness, the type of people running for political office would be different, and there would always be new blood.

I know that this little dream of mine will never happen. We're too entrenched in our old ways. Everyone reaches for white or black, calls themselves a republican or democrat, and forgets that there are more colors in the crayon box, more directions to go. Our current government shutdown (which is absolutely ridiculous) is evidence of this my way or the highway mentality.

I could write about this a whole lot more and invest more energy into coming off a bit more eloquently, but then I'd just end up losing myself in frustration and rage over our current political system.

*raises glass* Here's to change.

Another Brilliant Idea: Limit Political Campaign Spending

Political campaigns, especially presidential ones, spend an absurd amount of money in an attempt to get their candidate into office. I want this to stop.

Political offices are essentially bought. The candidate that spends the most tends to get the most publicity and in turn, the most votes. There are limits as to how much individuals can contribute to campaigns now, so campaigns now need to work harder to get more people to donate money, but I want to take things further.

Right now, our global economy remains in the gutter. We live in a world where children are starving, wars are raging, Honey Boo Boo exists, and instead of remedying these catastrophes, money is spent on smear ads that don't seem to ever go away (please make it stop). Apparently, all American politicians were never told the ole "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all" from their parents.

By limiting spending, all campaigns are forced to become smarter and more creative. Those with the best brains instead of those with the best pockets will win.

Am I alone in this train of thought?

P.S. Go vote.

Another Brilliant Idea: Party System

Why do we have two political parties? Politics is not black and white, but we try to make it that way. For everything our party system gets right, there is something that it gets wrong. We need an update. America has had to make changes over its 200 plus years, why not make another one?

Right now, so many times, politicians vote based on party lines and make decisions based on party beliefs, even if they don't support those beliefs. The two-party system has broken down. Nothing gets done because republicans and democrats can't get along. Its always a stalemate unless one party gets more power than the other. If then, that just happens in the short term. Eventually, the power shifts and then that party makes it miserable for the other one. Lets just get rid of parties.

It could be chaotic if not handled properly, but we don't need parties, do we? People wouldn't have to follow a particular party structure or pledge allegiance to a single believe system with no room for change. In America, we support people being themselves and being individuals (supposedly). Right now, politically, we don't allow for that to happen. This structural change would enable people to be themselves.

While we're at it, lets get rid of national conventions. The Democratic and Republican national conventions used to serve a purpose; they used to announce each party's candidates for the presidency. Now, we already know who the candidates are by the time the conventions come around. So, millions of dollars are spent on announcing nothing. It would more smarter and more economically to spend that money on almost anything else (literally). In a down economy, we can't afford to waste even more money.

Feel free to start poking holes in this "brilliant idea."

Stop Hatin' on Gamin'

For years the video game industry has been seen by politicians and other public figures as being a scapegoat for violent behavior and acts. I believe that games are not the problem and they are only an easy scapegoat because gamers are believed to be a minority.

Politicians that attack the video game industry often times do not understand the industry and place undeserved blame on those that are a part of it. CNN's William Bennett has blamed video games for men being unemployed and unmarried (link to article here). He urges men, in particular, to stop playing video games. Bennett, who was the U.S. Secretary of Education under Reagan, says that the increased percentage of women in the job market is a direct result of men “wasting” their time playing games. This is in complete disregard to that fact that gender inequality has come a long way. He uses statistics that date back to the early 1970’s, before the first game console was even invented. He also does not seem to be a credible and reliable source, as he has been outed for making racist remarks on his radio show (link to article here).

If you were to ask someone what social class they belong to, they will probably say that they are a member of the middle class. People making $30,000 and $300,000 a year often claim to be a part of the same class because the middle class is also a state of mind; gamers are the same way. 

Most people that play games do not consider themselves to be “gamers” because society places a negative connotation with the word “gamer.” To me, if you consistently play a video game of any kind, then you are a gamer. You don’t have to own a game console or even a computer to be a gamer. Everyday, 30 million people play Angry Birds, but many would probably deny being a gamer (link to article here). If all of these people admitted to being a gamer, then we would no longer be considered a minority. If we were no longer a minority, then we would no longer be a scapegoat.

Gamers aren’t going to go away, in fact, we are growing. 91 percent of kids in the US game, which is a nine percent increase over last year (link to article here). This brings to mind the phrase, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” 

Video games inspire and motivate people, allowing them to do great things. Planet Hunters, an online collection of public-release NASA Kepler data, used gamers to discover two new planet candidates (link to article here). 

Similarly, players of the online protein folding simulator, Foldit, found the structure of a specific enzyme believed to have an important role in the spread of the AIDS virus, bringing scientists closer to curing the disease (link to article here).

Next, Patrick Campbell suffered a stroke when he was 14 that stole his two biggest passions from him: video games and drawing. He is now 21 and over the years he has gained back some of his strengths and abilities. Before his stroke, he had naturally been right-handed, but he has never regained the use of his right hand. This has pushed him to write and draw with his left hand. Traditionally, gaming has required two hands, but Campbell didn’t let that stop him. He has perfected ways to play video games using his left hand, as well as other body parts, and he plays well enough to beat many of his friends (link to article here). There are many more examples of gamers that accomplish great things.

It is true that people are influenced by games, sometimes in a negative way. Some people do allow themselves to get lost in a virtual world that they believe to be better than the real one. In 2000, China banned video game consoles, hoping its citizens would spend less time gaming (link to article here). While preventing people from playing console games, the Chinese have turned to PC games. Further, this December, China’s first gaming console is going on sale (link to article here). 

Also, although games could push people to do bad things, games aren’t necessarily the reason why people do bad things. It's been rumored that if you have naturally violent tendencies, then violent video games may magnify your existing behaviors. I have played video games since I was 2-years-old and played my first shooter when I was in elementary school and it hasn’t negatively affected my behavior in anyway. If you are naturally a creative person, video games can help push your creativity. It all depends on the individual playing the game.

Games are not the only medium that can influence people’s behaviors; movies, television shows, music, and books all play a role as well. It has been highly publicized that Mark David Chapman, the killer of John Lennon, said that the book The Catcher in the Rye pushed him to murder (link to article). The media isn’t an innocent bystander either. Everyday, the news relies on violent acts (riots, wars, homicides) to make headline news. So when it comes to scapegoats, society should stop pointing fingers at gamers.