Matthew Shi - Period 6 - 12/04/2023

 Matthew Shi - Period 6 - 12/04/2023

Modern Mythology 2024

Socio-Political Consciousness

The government is the overarching authority that governs the entire nation. We rely on them as a source of security and as a way to represent ourselves. It’s no surprise that seeing the expulsion of our leaders has caused a stir within the government. George Santos was a United States Representative who had recently been expelled from the House of Representatives. Within the history of the United States, there have only been 5 members throughout history that have been expelled. Three of the members were expelled for fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Michael J. “Ozzie” Myers was the fourth member to be expelled in 1980 after conviction of bribery and corruption. James Traficant was the fifth, being convicted of tax evasion, obstruction of justice, bribery, and racketeering. Santos had become the sixth member, being expelled for 13 federal charges including false statements to Congress and money laundering. 

Power. The double edged sword that has thousands of meanings. One meaning can be to have power essentially makes someone the person they want to be. The common media may be seen as lacking power due to their incapacity to change and influence, yet they themselves retain the most power. They have the power to choose their leaders. In turn, leaders follow the will of the people. Or rather, they are supposed to. Self interest can corrupt power into a way that was never intended by the people. Santos is a prime example of someone who had used his power for his own gains. As people began to dig deeper, they began to uncover his lies, contradictions, and deceit. He lied about his education, against Congress, prior work history, towards donors, and the list goes on. After his expulsion, he retains an arrogant attitude upon his dismissal. It truly makes me wonder how someone like Santos was able to end up in a position of power with an entire background of lies.

Leaders are typically well educated and respected people who want to bring change. They are role models and aspirations as they have the courage to stand for not only themselves but for the people. They are trustworthy and people support them in the hope for a better future in their leadership. Yet these traits are not generally retained throughout all leaders. Despite our support for them, leaders are still humans. They are not omniscient beings that are looking or capable of satisfying everyone. Just like everyone else, they have flaws. It’s only a matter of what they chose to do with their flaws, to overcome them or become corrupted.

As I continue to grow older, the reality becomes that one day, I have to vote for one of these leaders. I used to dissuade from politics as the media itself tends to sway people towards a certain direction. They broadcast and focus on certain events in order to push a certain viewpoint towards their own personal goals. While not all media is intended to pursue an ulterior motive, there’s no way of telling whether or not what we see is what is really happening. However, I am under the government, whether I like it or not. While I could always refuse to vote, I am essentially giving my voice away and more corrupt leaders may appear within the government. Slowly, I have tried to become more involved within the modern conflicts. Rather than looking at it through a single news source, I look at the topics and what people have to say from multiple sources. While Santos may have lied about his career, he had still managed to gain enough support to become part of the House of Representatives briefly. Media can be a dangerous tool. 

To become more involved in politics, I want to retain an unbiased attitude of judgment. While I am prone to sway towards one opinion very quickly and remain stubborn to change, such an attitude could cause a huge mistake to be made. Remaining an unbiased attitude also allows me to see people for what they truly are. If people were more careful and actually checked Santos, the entire situation could have been avoided. Others are swayed more easily without giving a second thought within it. These events are the perfect example of what people shouldn’t be doing. While the temptation of power is great and others have abused it, it’s something that we shouldn’t be. We don’t want to become corrupt and end up being expelled as well. The future generation is what makes the future and perhaps one day, we will be able to make a great change.