I had planned to use this space to spit in the face of the Northwestern administration. The school has been fanning the flames of the fire of my indignation, and I was ready to burst. But then I went to see James Carville speak in Cahn Auditorium, and I experienced a Grinch-like moment of self-realization. So I am sidelining the hellfire and brimstone (just for a week) and writing from inspiration instead of annoyance.

For those of you who were watching the WB premieres, or were otherwise occupied at 7 on Monday night, Carville delivered a talk highlighted by fairly caustic but very funny political humor. I hesitate to call Carville’s talk a speech, because his manner was very casual. Carville seemed to say whatever came to his mind. But his sincere passion for politics was contagious.

I had thought I was pretty well vaccinated against whatever it was with which Carville would seek to infect us. I stand firmly behind the college apathy platform. I have political opinions, but most of them come from The Onion. I call myself a Democrat, yet I ponder becoming an investment banker. In fact, I almost didn’t make it to the Carville speech. At 5:00 p.m. on Monday (I hate to admit) I was still in bed. Somehow I mustered up the energy to change out of my pajamas and see Carville speak, and I came out motivated to do a lot more (including shower).

For we are past the time when we can deny that politics are relevant. Politicians decide not just what side of the road we drive on, Carville noted, they make laws regarding everything important in our lives. Right now politicians are deciding what kind of war we are getting into. Try finding a more relevant and important decision than life and death.

Carville’s message was simple: care. Start concerning yourself with the people who make the decisions that effect the things that are important to you. In response to fervent clapping in support of a moratorium on the death penalty, Carville reminded people not just to clap, but to go out and work to get someone elected who would put it into place.

He was clear: Not only should we care, we must care. He reminded us that we, as NU students, are among the best and the brightest. We are America’s favorite children, receiving all the extra sweets.

But with all the advantages our country has given us must come some responsibility. We must try to ensure the same opportunities for others that we have been lucky enough to enjoy ourselves. Not to say that the CEO and the janitor deserve the same salary, but everyone should be given the same set, or at least an ample set, of tools with which to build a decent, hopeful and fulfilling life. Are we, as Americans, doing all we can to ensure that life for our fellow citizens? Or, if we look at the equation of our lives, will we find that we have done nothing but take, take, take? Does our entitlement to what we want extend so far as to infringe on what others actually need?

During the 2000 election, too many asked what the candidates were going to give back to them, what the country was going to do for them. George Bush answered with a $300 tax rebate and won the election.

Maybe it is time for all of us to once again turn that question around, and instead ask what we can do for our country – and each and every person in it.