As leaves change to auburn, the political state of our nation and world stays immobile in its smoldering wreckage. The smoke billows across the globe, with a munchkin threatening nuclear war, racial tensions on the rise, and an ever-changing date for the end of the world...
But out of this haze, like a phoenix, emerges Ben Anderson's Political Chessboard. After a year away from this project, I am finally ready to return to the "dismal game". This calls for a reintroduction to the values and vision of the Chessboard. For a recap, please follow the following link:
https://andersonpoliticalchessboard.blogspot.com/2016/08/an-introduction-to-chessboard.html
Over the past year, my interest in politics has not waned. However, other than time constraints, what has mostly kept me away from this blog is utter frustration with the world as a whole. Overexposure to politics, I have found, can poison the mind and leave one in a floundering state of being.
This, to a certain extent, happened to me as the zaniness of 2016 came to a close. My hope took a direct blow as 2017 manifested almost equal chaos. As the reality of a likely irrevocably divided nation hit, my writing spirit drowned during the deluge.
However, in the present, that writing spirit feels resuscitated after I found a simple, yet rich and powerful verse of Scripture.
Romans 12:12 - Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
The answer is that simple. With an invigorated goal of keeping Jesus Christ in mind during my analysis, I'm ready to jump back into the fray.
As I make my return, I urge you to keep the following in mind. The following will be crucial to ruminate upon while observing the Political Chessboard.
1) Don't believe everything you see, on the internet or on any type of media. This may seem cliché, but it's more true than it's ever been. You can't trust any organization anymore, no matter their "prestige". Everyone and everything has its own agenda, no matter how innocuous they may seem. Understand that any photo can be photoshopped and that every story can be fabricated. Also, don't think that using a fact checker website will solve this problem. Who is fact-checking the fact-checkers? Once again, every organization has an agenda, even if their intentions seem good and legitimate. You need to do the fact checking yourself, because fake news is a real thing. The truth is usually not in the headlines, but somewhere closer to the middle.
2) Think for yourself. First, diversify yourself in where you get your news. Getting all of your news and opinions from NBC or CNN doesn't help you. Nor does getting all your news and opinions from Fox News and Breitbart. Understand differing opinions, respect the people who hold them (no matter how uninformed the opinion may be), and only then should you form your own opinion. Even after you've formed your opinion, continue to roll that opinion through your head over and over, challenging it and making your opinion as accurate and foolproof as possible.
If you've followed those two steps, then you're on your way toward being able to process events in a respectful and respectable fashion. In many areas (not all, but many), there is room for compromise in opinions. One key way in attempting to unify this nation, where we actually can Make America Great Again, is by looking in the mirror and examining if we're following those two steps properly. After the events in Charlottesville, the National Anthem uproar in the NFL, and other head-spinning controversies, I hope that we all look deeper into each issue and become better Americans through personal reflection.
Since the last blog post, one of my sources of inspiration for my political ideology, Bill O'Reilly, was unceremoniously kicked off the air. However, I will still cling to his principle tenet of looking at both sides of the aisle with impartiality and not becoming a sheep for either party.
Bear with me during this journey. I am a freshman student at WVU Tech, and content may occasionally become sporadic. However, the commitment is real, and the Chessboard will not be thrown in the closet any time soon.
Enjoy the game.
The world of politics never ceases to turn...
If you've followed those two steps, then you're on your way toward being able to process events in a respectful and respectable fashion. In many areas (not all, but many), there is room for compromise in opinions. One key way in attempting to unify this nation, where we actually can Make America Great Again, is by looking in the mirror and examining if we're following those two steps properly. After the events in Charlottesville, the National Anthem uproar in the NFL, and other head-spinning controversies, I hope that we all look deeper into each issue and become better Americans through personal reflection.
Since the last blog post, one of my sources of inspiration for my political ideology, Bill O'Reilly, was unceremoniously kicked off the air. However, I will still cling to his principle tenet of looking at both sides of the aisle with impartiality and not becoming a sheep for either party.
Bear with me during this journey. I am a freshman student at WVU Tech, and content may occasionally become sporadic. However, the commitment is real, and the Chessboard will not be thrown in the closet any time soon.
Enjoy the game.
The world of politics never ceases to turn...
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