Initially I wasn't too fond of the blog name because it carries the notion that high school students are inherently blind to the world of economics and politics. Was this name offensive to the blind themselves? Do they like having a part of their identity to be synonymous with ignorance? But the word food gives substance to the phrase. Food, unlike sight, is necessary to survive. With all the media eye candy that magazines, television shows and Youtube shorts throw at us, focusing on what is happening and why is refreshing.
Perhaps we are blind because politics and economics don’t affect us directly. Not all of us have jobs, and even fewer of us have families depending on our salaries. Even though we blame George Bush for entangling us in a “war” in Iraq, none of us were drafted to the military. Yes, we have lost loved ones, but it didn’t compare to the ubiquitous effect the Vietnam War had in the Sixties. It is harder to be aggravated about a war that doesn’t affect our everyday lifestyle.
12 comments:
I think politics and especially economics definitely affect us. Obviously the economy affects our families, and decisions made by politicians sometimes affect us. I have much less money saved for college than I did before the stock market crash for example. I would say that the reason we are less knowledgable about politics and economics is because we haven't had to make decisions related to those topics yet.
Or, or, or, maybe we, the students, are the ones with the food for the blind, those who disregards the opinions and views of youth. I believe that it is very important for youth to change this perception that teenagers do not know anything and do not care about the world. And in reality, youth are the future (but we are also the now). I don’t think that youth realize just how much policy is established without the presence of youth, and these adults might not necessary know how youth think.
I frankly despise adults who look down towards kids. Although they have experiences from the numerous years that they have done their jobs, it's always nice to get some fresh blood, especially youth blood. Looking through these past decades, many new innovations were created by younger people (not that I am age discriminating…).
Just my two cents.
Yeah, I'm not crazy about the blog name either. I personally think that kids in the Bay Area (although perhaps not as smart as kids in other countries) are much less blind to the world than kids from other places in the US.
So we as human beings need food. The blind need food too, but will having food make the blind people less blind? I don't think so. And why should food just be for the blind? Also, does that mean if someone's reading this blog that they're necessarily blind? Can't anyone read this blog and get some food? I would think that everyone other than just the blind should keep up with what's going on in the world.
I guess I can agree that many people are blind to what happens in the world around them. Just think about how many people actually exercise their right to vote. But what we have to recognize is that this blindness is often voluntary. Although it is true that some people don't have too many opportunities to educate themselves, in my experience, the majority of people that are blind to the world are simply too lazy to pay attention.
I think this name is fitting. Maybe we're blind now, but just by working on a blog like this, we're at least taking steps toward getting involved, which I find encouraging.
I feel that the title is a fitting one, as many of us do not follow politics and current events. I am, however, not generalizing and saying all teenagers are politically unaware, but our lack of input in the government as we aren't voters causes there to be a barrier in between us and the rest of the political world. I for one find it hard to get really involved with politics when I have no real impact on any sort of decision making. I’m not saying that it’s impossible or pointless to get involved, in fact I think everyone should have at least a general knowledge of national politics, but instead that a lot of us are not.
Although I agree that we, as teenage Americans, aren't as exposed to the war as those during the Vietnam War, it is hard to say that we aren't affected by it everyday. Any decision, made by the Bush Administration is a reflection on this country as a whole and will have consequences whether they are good or bad.
Most teenagers are blind to the world. We don't go and read the newspaper because we just aren't interested. This is due to the mantras and sayings out there that life is short and that we should live while we can. This has greatly diminished our awareness. So many incidents have happened in the world that are significant but we neither know nor care about them unless it directly affects our lives.
Why are people reading so deeply into the meaning of this name... it's all figurative, not literal. News on the politics and economics are not food at all. Therefore, the blind part must also be figurative, and not saying that students are uneducated and unaware.
That made more sense in my head, I swear. :P
as for blind people needing food as much as regular people, who's to say it's normal food?! it might be food with visually-curative properties. yes, the blind might need THIS food more.
The blog name should have been "Chuck Norris Blog." At least that would have been funny.
I think that people can be blind to politics and economics if they choose to. I, personally, don't think I am because I choose not to be. I listen to NPR every day - in the morning, night, whenever. In fact, it's the only radio I listen to. I am a student (obviously) and I don't think I'm that blind to politics. I've listened to many interviews and have learned a tremendous amount about what's going on in the world. I even learned today that it's national (or international) 'speak like a pirate day' and it's the 25th anniversary of the computer smiley face :)(but with a circle around it).
I think it's important for youth to become active in politics and at least listen and watch the news. I watch the PBS news because I want to feel I'm involved with politics and the world around me, and partly so I can understand political parodies and jokes. I agree that people are blind to politics and economics, but I think it's mostly because they feel they don't affect them at all. But really, politics all over the world definitely affects us - we don't live in our own separate little bubbles.
I don't like the title of this blog. First of all, there isn't "food with visually-curative properties," unless you're talking about something like carrots, which wouldn't help blind people, but only improve the eyesight of people who can already see. Since we all have some sort of grasp of politics and not a complete understanding of them, I think we should rename this blog to "The Aragon Carrot" blog. Then, the blog becomes an optimistic message to its readers, instead of the image of shoveling worthless food into the mouths of blind people, where nothing is accomplished. As Elaina said, you can feed blind people as much food as they want, but they're still not going to see. In fact, everyone needs food, including people that are capable of sight. like us. As Ziva kind of demonstrated, some of us know more about politics than others, since I have never listened to NPR or watched PBS unless it was about crocheting, sea manatees, or Alaska. In the metaphor, Ziva can see better than me, but neither of us is blind. That's why this blog should be called the "Aragon Carrot" blog. Because no matter how much you know about politics or government, this blog should educate you in some way, just like no matter how good your eyesight is, carrots can make it better.
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