Please reply to this post.
I do personally feel that a large percentage of the population does wait on voicing their opinion on a political issue until a crisis occurs. I do believe that this happens for one of two reasons; the first reason is the need to call attention to the matter at hand and the second reason is due to the popularity of the topic more people are prone to want to have an opinion on it. For example the recent overturn of Roe v Wade, abortion has been an ongoing political and ethical battle in the country. With the recent change, we see it being emphasized more in the media and pro-choice supporters seeking their voices to be heard. Unfortunately, at times a crisis is needed to be able to grasp the public attention to obtain involved in a political matter. It’s a part of human life, known as the ‘fight or flight when we are in a crisis we either fight it or run away from it. Chapter 6 of our book states “In many cases, ‘more entertaining’ means that sensation and drama replace careful consideration of domestic politics, public policies, and international affairs.” (Greenberg, 2020, pg 143). This statement is very much true as the more interesting something is the more the public draws to it.
I also classify myself in the category of those who do not pay much attention to the makings of our government until it is a matter which does catch my attention to want to have an opinion on.
We can take the pandemic as an example of a crisis that helped employees everywhere be better understood to take time off when feeling ill without obtaining backlash from their employers as pre-pandemic. An article by Peters, S (2022) states, “The pandemic has illuminated the interconnected pathways through which broader social–political–economic environments, and employment and labor patterns, have shaped the experiences of enterprises and workers. These experiences have highlighted the need for integrated and adaptable enterprise approaches to ensure worker safety, health, and wellbeing by improving the conditions of work through organizational policies and practices.” Prior to the COVID outbreak if an employee were to call in sick the employer would, the majority of the time, give pushback to convince the employee to still work. Post-COVID that same employer would rather the employee stay home until they are clear of any possible illness. To me, this is a huge improvement, but nevertheless, it took a crisis to surface it.
