To My Friends Who Say They're "Not Political"

I get it. It's tempting to stay out of politics and give both the Democrat Party and the Republican Party the well-deserved middle finger. Well, I hate to break it to you, but you cannot escape politics. Your very existence is political. Your boss cares about politics. Your landlord cares about politics. Your insurance company cares about politics. The Congress members who are legislating away your rights care about politics. And guess what? They're all perfectly willing to take advantage of your apathy and ignorance. 

Also, newsflash—the world does not revolve around you. So even if a particular issue doesn't affect you, you should still care about your fellow humans. It's not about Democrats versus Republicans. It's about common sense and basic morality.

You wonder why I take these things so personally. Why I can't take a joke, why certain issues are not up for debate. The reason is that you and I have completely different views on the nature of politics. You see politics as an abstract, philosophical idea. But in reality, it is very real and very personal.

It's personal for the single mother who loses her job due to economic failure.

It's personal for the young woman who ends up behind bars for having a drug addiction.

It's personal for the parents of an unarmed teenager who ends up getting shot and killed by a trigger-happy cop.

It's personal for the child refugee who's fleeing a crisis situation with her family.

In a world where everything is political, neutrality is a myth. You are either fighting for basic human rights, or you are passively allowing your rights—and others' rights—to be eroded. It really is that simple.

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." —Desmond Tutu