In her April 23 op-ed, Talia Winiarsky observed how the “brooding cynicism” cultivated by our current political climate has permeated every aspect of our lives, from news consumption to job searching, and conceded that such cynicism has “nowhere to go” until the next election cycle.
I appreciate her courage and clarity in articulating a position many people our age find themselves in, especially in the wake of the recent federal layoffs and hiring freezes. Trapped by the feeling that we will never be able to make a difference, we give in to hopelessness, isolating ourselves instead of reaching out to others. We’ve all been there. It sucks.
It is also true that a lot of paths for creating positive change through our federal institutions have narrowed or been cut off. And that, too, really sucks, especially for those of us working towards a chance at one of those positions.
But I think the kind of cynicism Winiarsky describes tends to beget political situations like the one we find ourselves in, not the other way around. And because of that, it’s harmful to let such cynicism run rampant — at least, not without also taking a look at the other side of things.
Yes, everything is awful. This is not new. That’s why the communities we live in have created ways to work out social problems together. Nowhere to go? Try a city council meeting. A club meeting. A community event. A protest. There are countless avenues towards real, meaningful change. Granted, that change is not going to be as big and dramatic as you want it to be. It’s going to be small, local, hard-won and gradual. But, that’s how change has always been.
The idea behind democracy is that we can all shape the world, even if that’s not what we get paid to do. That you don’t have to work for the government, or in academia, or at a nonprofit, to make a meaningful difference.
You don’t know about Mahatma Gandhi because of his mediocre career as a lawyer. You know him because of what he did on the side — the things nobody paid him to do. Organizing, activism and nonviolent direct action aren’t what the government will hire you to do — but they are how real change is created.
And if you don’t think those democratic ideals align with how our government is actually structured, you are in excellent company. Countless people and organizations agree and are working tirelessly to revamp our political systems to become more responsive and accessible.
Twenty-six states now administer citizen ballot initiatives or referendum processes. Evanston debuted its first participatory budgeting process in 2022, with an exceptionally high turnout rate.
Students at Northwestern are currently implementing a small-scale participatory budgeting process focused on climate change. Now more than ever, our systems are changing to become more representative, and there are ways for any interested citizen to get involved in government.
I’d also like to address the view of politics Winiarsky alluded to — that there is nowhere to direct your feelings until the opportunity to campaign in the next election cycle. This is a view that I find to be both exceptionally inaccurate and dishearteningly common.
Politics is playing out all around you, all the time. Big elections and federal action capture the media with an iron fist, but so much more is always happening.
Want to get involved? Try looking into state and local legislation. Get on your city council member’s mailing list. Contact your state representative. If you’re concerned about sustainability, Climate Action Evanston is doing great things right here in the community, and they’re always looking for volunteers.
Our government becomes what we believe it to be. If we think voting for president is our singular, all-important civic duty, we end up with a government like the one we’ve got. If we start actually valuing our congressional representatives, our judiciary, our state and local governments, maybe even, heaven forbid, the public opinion — a better future is possible.
I empathize with Winiarsky’s view, and I understand the frustration of being unable to pursue the rapidly dwindling number of careers in public service. But I take that as an incentive towards action, not away from it.
Now more than ever, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work on building a better, more resilient democracy. One controlled neither by exceptionally powerful unitary executives nor the do-gooder graduates of a handful of elite schools, but by its intended leaders: the people.
Noah Cohrs is a SESP sophomore. He can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
