As catchy headlines referencing the latest election poll, candidate rally or bill proposal fill my Facebook timeline, I cannot help but feel frustration with the current political climate. In our effort to join the political debates at the dinner table and on Twitter, we have forgotten one key component of why these discussions are necessary in the first place: the people whom these policies effect.
When we discuss our political opinions during election season and when our legislators consider bill proposals, it is crucial that we consider the individual impact associated with public policy. Policies passed devoid of individual consideration overlook the purpose of political action. In a state like Mississippi, this is devastating to the most vulnerable of citizens: the poor.
Once in my high school cafeteria, I listened as a staff member told me his work schedule. It consisted of working 18 hours every day at two minimum wage jobs. While he told me this, there was unexpectedly no anger or discontentment in his voice. He was simply explaining his daily activities of what he did to provide for his family.
Growing up in Mississippi, I know stories like these are not limited to a few isolated instances. In the classrooms of my public school, I sat next to kids who did not always know where their next meal was coming from or where they would be sleeping that night. People across the state are struggling to make ends meet and find themselves trapped in intergenerational poverty.
Although I am generally proud to call Mississippi my home, I cannot overlook the poverty and number of residents who struggle to gain access to affordable healthcare, adequate education and basic nutritional sustenance. This is why I believe one of the most important factors that must be considered in political debates is the results of certain viewpoints for individuals in the local community.
As I watch members of the Mississippi executive and legislative branch continue to overlook our state’s failing education and healthcare system, I cannot help but feel frustration. I find it hard to believe when legislators refuse to raise the minimum wage, they have truly considered the huge amount of work required from individuals just to provide basic essentials for their families.
When the governor refused to expand Medicaid enrollment, he left 138,000 uninsured. It is difficult for me to believe that he adequately considered what this would mean for single mothers in Mississippi with no means of affording healthcare for their children.
Political debates are not unusual amongst my friends, but these discussions often end in agreements to disagree. This might be due to stubbornness, but in the case of economic policy, I think it must have to do with personal experience. I ultimately think a lot of political views I hold are the results of having witnessed poverty first-hand.
I can listen to arguments for hours explaining why the Affordable Care Act is bad for doctors or how raising the minimum wage could create inflation, but no economic argument can make me forget my classmates who had to drop out of school to provide for their families because their parents’ minimum wage jobs were not sufficient income. According to a 2009 Harvard study, 45,000 deaths a year are linked to lack of coverage.
In the face of so many deaths, no explanation of doctors’ need for high salaries can change my mind about the necessity of universal healthcare.
I understand that people will always hold conflicting political opinions, but it is always necessary to consider what policy means on a micro-level. I firmly believe that if our legislators approached each piece of legislation with actual local community members in mind, we would all see very different bill proposals.
Not only is this essential for leaders in politics but for voters as well. I hope that we can set aside snappy talking points long enough to recognize real struggles that remain ever present in our society. If policy remains devoid of individual consideration, the results will remain devoid of real solutions.
