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Originally Posted by ASU2003
Is it your parents and family that have the biggest influence?
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Maybe not the biggest, but certainly a sizeable influence was my upbringing and my parents' views. My Dad is a small business owner in the medical field and an ultra-conservative Republican. Of course that influences how I view politics today. I was raised in a devout Catholic family, which also plays a major role in my political views, even if I've since fallen away from the Church. On the other hand, my family has always been big on Sunday dinner table discussions and expressing and exploring personal views, so my siblings and I are free to find our own ways and develop our own views, even if they go against what my parents believe. The important thing is backing up your opinions with facts and reasons. So while many of my political views are the same as my parents, especially my Dad, I never felt like I was blindly following his lead.
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Originally Posted by ASU2003
Is it your education and how teachers present certain info?
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Yes, but maybe to a lesser extent. Going to college in Austin was a huge change from the small, mostly conservative town in which I grew up! But rather than completely change my views, they grew stronger every time I defended or explained my point of view to professors or fellow students. As a teacher I try my absolute best to remain completely unbiased in the classroom, hard though it may be at times. And it's important that my students understand history is very much politically slanted, and it's their job to separate the fact from the opinion, even when reading from their textbooks. (Especially then, actually!)
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Originally Posted by ASU2003
Is it your socio-economic standing either growing up or currently?
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Never thought about that, but probably. Again, my Dad owning his own business has certainly made an impact.
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Originally Posted by ASU2003
Does the media and who you feel you can trust to tell you what is really going on influence people?
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No. Like a high school textbook, the news media today is completely politically slanted.
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Originally Posted by ASU2003
Do your friends or religion impact your feelings on issues?
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Sure. I'd say the same as my family and upbringing, since the religion is such a major part of my childhood.
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Originally Posted by ASU2003
Could anonymous people on the Internet change your mind, or make it easier to find more people that agree with you?
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This is interesting! What's the difference between a random person on the internet, who presents logic and facts to back up their point of view, and a newspaper? Either way you have to be cautious and do your own research. But random people on the internet can bring up new ideas or points of view you haven't considered before.
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Originally Posted by ASU2003
Is it a few life experiences either positive or negative that change how you think government should be run?
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Absolutely. I changed tremendously in my thinking about politics after my then boyfriend joined the Army. You can't not change from something like that, I think.
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Originally Posted by ASU2003
Is it your interactions and feelings towards other people that make you think they should be responsible for themselves or should get helped out?
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I honestly believe that everyone should be given a chance. But once they've blown that chance, then it's up to them to make a change.