A confession about the national news

I have a confession to make. Over the past few months, I’ve been avoiding the national news. I keep up with the local news, but I only read the headlines of the national news.

“Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government,” Thomas Jefferson wrote. A couple of years ago, I agreed completely.

But there were a few things Jefferson didn’t foresee, like 24/7 news; the ease with which truth and lies can spread; the knowledge that even when news is disproven, people still believe it is true; and the sometimes callousness of anonymous political discourse.

I needed to take a break from national politics and political debate for my own mental health. The frustration, anger, helplessness, and even scorn I felt were not healthy, and I couldn’t turn it into something productive.

So I will indulge in sticking to the headlines a little longer. When I’m ready to read beyond the headlines again, I’ll remind myself of two things:

* I choose to be kind and positive. I can’t control the news, the reporters, the bloggers, or the commentators, but I can control myself.

* I choose to believe that most people do what they think is right, even when I disagree with them (maybe especially when I disagree with them). And I hope they will think the same of me in return.

How closely do you follow national politics? How can we improve the way we discuss government policies and laws?

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Tags: Government, Headline News, News, Politics

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