The Internet and Politics

These thoughts are a little late in coming, seeing as the election was last week, but I've been thinking about them anyway.

I hate talking politics with people. I'm usually insecure about my views and don't like having them shot down, even kindly and legitimately. In addition, I find that politics brings things out in people that I don't care to see. Politics are a little like the internet in that way. People say things and think in ways that may not be totally in character in any other circumstance. So, when my husband, or especially my mom, brings up something political, I nod a lot and then change the subject as quickly as I can.

So how do I even come up with an opinion? It comes down to what we were talking in class about a few weeks ago: how asking a person for information can be more useful than Googling it because with a person you get specific experience and opinions. You can also ask more specific questions. In this case, the opposite is useful for me. When I Google something like "Obama vs Romney," I do get A LOT of opinions, but I can also find something like this site: something that at least on the surface, is just raw facts rather facts torn askew and bloated with opinion.

And, when I do come across opinions, I can interpret those biases without the discomfort of passing judgement on someone that I actually know.

So, to sum up I guess, I'm grateful for the ability that the internet gives me to form my own opinion.