Two major television events took place over the last few days. One was extremely important. The other was a football game.
I’m biased, of course, because I study media, I’m executive editor of this paper, I genuinely care about the country, and I don’t follow any sports. However, I think the State of the Union address by the president should be given just as much attention as the Super Bowl.
We as a nation need to consider our priorities. I’m not saying we can’t enjoy football or awards shows or what have you, but I do think we need to be more aware of what’s going on in our nation politically and socially.
The annual State of the Union was outlined in the U.S. Constitution to ensure the president communicates to Congress and the American people. That was in a time when broadcast didn’t exist. We literally have access to our president by livestream now, and most of us don’t even watch.
Did you know the SOTU was originally scheduled for Jan. 29? Do you know why it was rescheduled? I bet you know the halftime performer and results of the Super Bowl.
Please, pay attention to our government. It’s never too soon or too late to become an active citizen. Now is the time to start thinking about the 2020 presidential election. Actually, 2016 was the time to start thinking about the 2020 election.
I will say Tuesday’s address was not that interesting. In fact, I’ll admit I didn’t pay much attention to the last 15 minutes because it was so dull and long. But from what I hear, the Super Bowl wasn’t that much better. Although, I did enjoy that “Is Pepsi okay?” commercial.
