Challenge yourself...

I once wrote a letter to one of the super-delegates in the democratic party. I told him that I respected what he was doing, as his position earning him title of "super-delegate" was earned through chairmanship of a council. I told him that the thanks I often get as a soldier isn't often given enough to those in civil service and politics, for while the soldier protects the rights and liberties Americans hold, it is the civil service and politicians who work daily to make the country function. I didn't tell him who to vote for, but only wanted to thank him.

It is unfortunate, I think, that Americans aren't challenged enough. We are complacent on so many levels. The amount of ignorance of war and politics is staggering and it is adversely affecting the country. This interview on the Daily Show (a show which is still surprisingly relevant) I think challenges us again.

It made me think of a speech I saw given by Robert Kennedy. In it, he went to a college and challenged the crowd, asking them if it was wise or fair that they (his own audience) could not be drafted. Would a politician do that today? Would the crowd respond and think and question?

Much like we have grown accustomed to the style of life we lead economically, we have also grown accustomed to a style of life intellectually that is defined more by Britney and Paris than by Barack and McCain. It is my hope that we can move past this as a nation.