Having been an avid reader of the DailyKos and associated diaries for quite awhile now, I finally decided to try my hand at a diary. This is my first entry so I thought I'd get my prejudice out of the way first.
Prejudice. Normally a word that evokes reaction by it's mere utterance. How many admit to having one or more prejudices? It is not the politically correct thing to do, that's a certainty. Well, I have a prejudice which has nothing to do with race, creed or color. In fact it crosses all of those boundries and is probably one of the most rampant conditions in the United States. It is ignorance. Not ignorance derived from physiological conditions but plain, simple self-imposed ignorance. It is akin to laziness and the refusal to do any "work" to self-educate oneself. It's the refusal to learn about an issue from all sides before espousing an opinion and being unable to explain how it was derived. Self-imposed ignorance is everywhere. Look around. Have you ever watched Jay Leno's Jaywalking segments. How about people that are so married to their political party of choice that all they do is regurgitate the party line. They know nothing of how their opinion was formed, but that doesn't stop them.
Let's look at the benefits of self-imposed ignorance. One does not have to spend anytime reading. Leaves more time for hanging out, watching mindless tv, throwing back some beers, sleeping and many more self-indulgent behaviors. One also doesn't have to make any real decisions. Politically it's akin to always having parents take care of you. In this camp, we often hear comments such as: "why should I worry about it, the goverment will take care of it" or "there's nothing I can do." Perhaps the nicest benefit is that of mindlessness. What you don't have to think about doesn't cause pain, frustration or a sense of powerlessness.
I can think of many reasons people choose to be ignorant. Just remember, by choosing this life style you have signed away your chance to make a positive contribution to the society in which you live. You are at the mercy of those who abhor this characteristic and take the opportunity to educate themselves and obtain power. They will be the ones shaping your future. What is the corrupt Bush administration telling you about the future?