Just think about it. When it comes to making the decisions in the areas that affect the quality of your life and the ones that affect the lives of others in your community the most, such as politics, are you making those important choices primarily out of knee-jerk, and under-processed initial emotional responses, or are you making those decisions founded on the knowledge and wisdom base you’ve invested time into building, by studying data-supported and factually based books and media–not just the books and media utilized in the core curriculum assigned through the American educational system?
For instance, I won’t have a discussion about white supremacy with someone until they’re willing to go and put in the work of studying up on the history and current state of white supremacy in this nation.
Because, otherwise, that person will only have enough mental capacity to engage an EMOTIONAL exchange, not a LOGICAL and INTELLECTUAL one.
Most of the mainstream media is hell-bent on repeatedly evoking emotional reactions, to condition the American public to make irrational and impulsive choices (political ones)–one in the heat of the moment–as opposed to ones out of forethought.
That is why I preach READING and WRITING LITERACY so much. There are pieces of much-needed information you CANNOT obtain from an hour-long broadcast on CNN or MSNBC–information you have to make the effort of investing time in to acquire–you can only get from READING.
And, it’s the obligation of the writers, of every kind of genre, to use their talents to encourage and facilitate that particular medium/method of enlightenment.
Free feel to listen in as Allison Fowler, mental health care professional and writer, and I discuss.
Please feel free to add your 2 cents in the comment section below. Feedback and additional insight are most definitely encouraged.
Very well said and written my fellow poet, and good points here!
LikeLike