Are you ‘brainwashed’ or informed?

Brooke Kelly
Managing Editor

Earlier this school year, my research methods professor asked our class why we vote or go along with the particular political parties we associate ourselves with. She asked us based on what information we made our political decisions: Are we democrats because that’s what most black people are or because that’s what our families are? Do we research all candidates when we get ready to vote? How much do we know about the various candidates running for president?

The questions made me think about my own political views or lack thereof, and I am thankful for that conversation as well as others I have with family and friends about politics because the older I get, the more I want to understand what’s going on in the world and how it will affect me.
The question about how blacks’ voting habits came to my attention again, however. In a September 28 interview with Wolf Blitzer (that’s on Youtube), African American republican presidential candidate, Herman Cain, said he believed  “many African Americans have been brainwashed into not being open minded and not even considering a conservative point of view.” He went on to say that he believed that 2/3 of blacks have been brainwashed but 1/3 to half are open minded. “More and more black Americans are thinking for themselves and that’s a good thing,” said Cain.

The next day, various black democratic congress members, like Maxine Waters (D-CA,) spoke out against Cain’s comments. “Not only are we not brainwashed, we know how to act in our own best interest.  That`s why most of us are Democrats.  Who in their right mind, African-American, would belong to a Party that is as mean-spirited as we see coming out of the Republican Party. They don`t care about poor people.  They don`t care even about working class people.  They don`t care about senior citizens,” said Waters on the Ed Show on MSNBC.

Whichever you side with, is your opinion; however, I would like to further encourage all students, of all ethnicities, to get informed on what’s going on and to be able to back up whatever your political opinions are, if not for anyone else, for yourself.

On November 8, Mississippians and students eligible to vote in Mississippi elections will have the opportunity to vote in statewide elections. One year from this upcoming Sunday, the nation will vote for a president.

With national and state issues like joblessness, food insecurities, and tuition prices and more, we all need to be concerned with the future leadership of Mississippi and the U.S. and where candidates stand on various issues.

For example, did you know that both Mississippi governor candidates, republican and democrat, plan to vote Yes for Initiative 26 that declares human life begins when an egg is fertilized. While this may not be an issue to some, to others it is.

As a generation, we owe ourselves a pat on the back for our activism and political awareness. According to multiple sources, voting from young adults is up. CBS news reports it has been up since 2004. According to RocktheVote.com, we, the millennial generation, represent more than one-fifth of the electorate. “Although overall college students tend to tilt toward Democrats, their loyalties on politics are widely shaped by current events,” said political science Professor Matthew Jarvis in the CBS report.

Brainwashed is a word I don’t associate with myself.  Whether you agree with Hermain Cain or not, make sure you’re not “brainwashed” into believing anything. For your own good, whatever your race, this month and next year, get informed about what’s going on and how it will affect you, the people you love, our nation, and world.

The views expressed in the commentary are those of the writer(s) and in no way represent the views of The Blue & White Flash.