On politics, or lack thereof

[msagara]

I am not a very public person.

Being professional is something that everyone who works should be capable of - but in general, that’s eight hours a day, five days a week. Professional behaviour is a very narrow range of polite, considerate, and largely vanilla interactions; it’s a way of navigating a world full of strangers. (Yes, there are other

Comments

[nancylebov]

Thank you for writing this.

I've been caught up in various politics, and I'm not sure it's been a good idea. I may have been too much influenced by people who seem to believe that everyone should have politics as a primary concern.

[la_marquise_de_]

This is very sensible and very sane: thank you.
Me, I can't not be political; I was raised that way. But it matters that we get to be different, that we get to live our lives our way.

[msagara]

Yes. I would never tell anyone else that they were too political. Ever.

But sometimes I really hate myself for being silent =/. And sometimes, I post regardless. I just needed to write this as a reminder of why I made this decision. And possibly as an explanation to people who wonder.

[la_marquise_de_]

Nods. That sense of pressure to comment is an element of this on-line world that worries me.
Much love.

[msagara]

Sadly - or happily, depending - all the pressure is internal. I wrote something that everyone I know basically said I could not post as it was written after they read it. And in hindsight, they weren’t wrong.

There are things that I can post in anger because they cut across all political lines. There are things I can post that are personal - the posts about parenting - because they’re obviously so individual.

But some of the things that make me truly angry are ... less universal. And I’m still struggling with parts of that original post. This one was actually some part of that one.

[thestormcellar]

Thank you!

[sartorias]

Yes, oh yes re politics.

Good for You

[anonymous]

I am a very political person with strong views. I am a retired college administrator and now an adjunct professor. My views are not in sync with much of higher education. I tell my students I am not politically correct at all, and they do know how I feel. BUT college is where they should formulate their own ideas. My job is not to tell them what to think but how to think. I do that with a vengeance. I love your books because I do not find them politically motivated. If they were, it would sap my enjoyment of living in another world. Politics and religion are best discussed with your very best friends, and preferably if they share your views! I love the fact you posted this on your blog. I am the furthest thing from starstruck, but you are at the top of the list of a "somebody" I would love to meet. Keep being you. Oh yes, and do please get the next *Cast in...." completed. I am anxiously Cast in Waiting. Cheers. Pat