American Idol, professional football, Google’s newest addition. Obama’s speech on education, McCain’s stance on health care, the implications of a war overseas. I would venture a guess that the former list was more appealing than the latter. Just this past week one of the biggest stories of the week was what price the Obamas’ neighbors were picking up for their home in Chicago. But how many people picked up what Obama said during his speech about education? Do many people really remember what he was proposing during his address to Congress about health care? Instead of the message, the politics surrounding the matters, most people pick up on the controversy, distracted by the obstinacy and ignorance.

Just a few decades ago, if the president or any other prominent politician were to make a national address, masses would huddle around televisions or radios, delighting in getting a direct connection with one of their representatives. Now people, myself included, moan when the State of the Union address interrupts regular programming. Democracy alone has become boring, so instead of identifying with someone with similar political views, many people have turned elections into a reality show. Are you rooting for the underdog old man? Or the woman? Oh, he is too young to complete this challenge. Yeah, that guy is getting voted off tonight, easily. Instead of deciding based on the stances of the individuals, Americans by far vote based on appearances and nature. The same people who like to preach that “all men are created equal” spend a lot of time dwelling on race, age, and gender. If everyone is indeed created equally, then these factors should mean nothing. Rather, what they have to say and what they plan to do should mean the most.

But instead of listening, we turn down the volume on our politicians. If you are a Republican, you are like all Republicans, and similarly, all Democrats have the same plans. Liberals try to suppress conservatives, and vice versa. Last Tuesday, Obama addressed schools around the nation, hoping to connect directly to the students about the importance of education. Arguably, the president should not be replacing parents, but with so many students dropping out and the United States falling behind in education, trying to spread the message of “stay in school” directly to students is a noble idea. Plans like “No Child Left Behind” have not been terribly successful in many areas, but neither will this speech be, mainly because so many staunch Republicans kept thousands of children from getting a chance to hear the president speak. How unfortunate that so many parents suppressed the chance to involve more young people in the political world. Calling Obama a “socialist” and even more harshly, a “liar,” influential adults are only turning people off to politics more and more.

Standing up for issues is a great thing; it’s the motor that propels this country. But standing on others’ ideas is a waste of time. If American politics strays from its intended form as an open forum of collaboration, countless great ideas will be lost. “You can listen as well as you hear” is not just a song lyric; it’s a motto of respect and understanding. To continue true democratic politics, we all have to be willing to open our ears now and then, even to words with which we disagree.