I often hear the opinion that saying “I’m not political”, or
choosing to avoid conversations about politics, is an act of privilege. That
only sheltered people have the option of non-involvement. I would agree that if
you’re personally effected by an issue, you are far more likely to care about
it. I also recognize that people who are poor, or non-white, or immigrants, or
women, or not straight, are often judged as “being political” when they’re just
relaying their everyday experiences, because their existence itself is deemed
political. All of this is true. But there are also ways in which
marginalization can prevent political
focus. Here are some examples.
A person who is
homeless and living on the street is more likely to be focused on the basics of
everyday survival than on contemplating political topics. If you’re expending
all your time and energy trying to find food and shelter, you’re not going to
spend hours reading about politics on the internet. You (most likely) won’t
attend marches. You don’t have money to donate to causes, and can’t boycott
products because you need to take what you can get.
Back in the fall
of 2011, I was involved with the Occupy movement in New Haven. I’m glad to have
taken part, as I learned a lot and met some wonderful people. Many of them made
efforts to give to the homeless people on the New Haven green, which was good.
They gave them food and offered a media platform to those who wanted one. But
not every homeless person was enthusiastic. Some of the Occupiers were sleeping
in tents on the green, and a homeless woman informed me she didn’t like it
because “me and my friends need this space.” There was a notable moment when a
fellow Occupier tried to high-five a homeless man in solidarity. He shook his
head, clearly not enjoying the gesture. I’m not going to assume that none of
the homeless people cared about politics, but many were too focused on their
immediate needs to invest themselves in philosophical theories and keep up on
current events.
If a person is
not homeless but still living in urgent poverty, they may be too busy to pay
attention to politics, get involved in community organizations, or similar
things. They could be working so many hours that they barely have time to
sleep, let alone dedicate large blocks of time to an ideology.
Additionally,
mental health can play into this. I know people who disengage from social
justice issues and choose not to involve themselves in political conversations—not
because they’re apathetic, but because it will throw them into a psychological
crisis. Extensive involvement in these things can be very detrimental to some
peoples’ mental health, particularly if they struggle with depression, anxiety,
PTSD, or agoraphobia. There are people with these conditions who choose to be
involved, and that’s perfectly fine. But I respect the choice to disengage for
their own well-being. Sometimes the ones who are most impacted by these topics are the ones who most need to pick
and choose their battles, or else they strain themselves to the breaking point.
Some who are
impacted by these social issues don’t have access to education that will teach
them about it. Some are politically invested, but not liberal. I know people of
marginalized identities who have right-wing values. Some don’t have the time,
and others care so much that it drains them and they need to maintain distance
for the sake of their health.
Many privileged people are involved in politics—and that can be
a problem when they’re out of touch with others. It’s true that privilege can
also play into non-involvement or apathy, but it can be more complicated than
that.
