Growing up in the UK, my parents were never hugely political, they were both Labour voters and I remember the 'big' topics of the day being discussed, but it never was a huge topic of conversation in the house. I remember always being taught to be a good person, that racism was wrong and to treat others as you would wish to be treated. The 'basics' if you will. But of course kids are gonna be kids and be assholes and do stupid shit.
I do remember being...I guess you could straight up call it homophobic when I was...I dunno, 10? Thinking being gay was pretty weird and gross, but I quickly grew out of that. And that's pretty much around the time I started to form my own, concrete beliefs on things. My teenage years were at the birth of the nu-metal era (I'm still a huge metal fan to this day) and I remember bands like Rage Against The Machine, System of a Down and a small known UK band called One Minute Silence having a huge effect on how I thought about the world. They opened my eyes to Government wrongdoing, systemic racism (which was something I was either never exposed to growing up in Edinburgh, or just flat out ignorant of), the military/prison industrial complex, troubles in the Middle East, and drug policy. The first big 'political topic' I was fully invested in was the Afghan/Iraq war, of which I was massively against.
Another thing for me was smoking weed at around 14/15 maybe? It taught me a huge amount of empathy for others (I honestly can't overstate that enough). I don't know why, or how, but it just seemed to open a door in my head that was previously...not closed, but not fully open either. Seeing things from others' perspectives and trying to put myself in their shoes kinds deal, and just a huge feeling of being bummed out at the plight of others. From calling poorer people 'scaffs' to feeling like absolute shit that I used to do that, and that I was walking round in the latest fucking trainers or whatever and they weren't and were being picked on for that taught me that the situations people found themselves in often weren't their own faults and to not judge people for stupid shit.
All of this left me feeling pretty hardcore politically engaged from around 15 onwards, and while I've never been one to read Marx or huge political texts or anything, I've since been as informed on topics as I can be and have a huge interest in UK, US and to a lesser degree Middle Eastern politics. I've voted Green (or SNP) for every election I've voted in, Yes to Scottish Independence and No to Brexit. These days the things I try to push are trans-rights, how immigration (especially in Scotland) is a hugely positive and flat out needed thing and just empathy for others who are less fortunate or in shitty situations. I've never placed a label on myself, but I guess I fall somewhere in the Leftist/Socialist/Social Democrat sphere.
So yeah, I'm just wondering what you think helped form your political beliefs. Upbringing obviously has a huge part to play up to a point, but there's so many outside factors that could influence where you stand, and from a board as diverse (maybe not politically diverse, but culturally) as Era, I'm interested to hear others thoughts.
I do remember being...I guess you could straight up call it homophobic when I was...I dunno, 10? Thinking being gay was pretty weird and gross, but I quickly grew out of that. And that's pretty much around the time I started to form my own, concrete beliefs on things. My teenage years were at the birth of the nu-metal era (I'm still a huge metal fan to this day) and I remember bands like Rage Against The Machine, System of a Down and a small known UK band called One Minute Silence having a huge effect on how I thought about the world. They opened my eyes to Government wrongdoing, systemic racism (which was something I was either never exposed to growing up in Edinburgh, or just flat out ignorant of), the military/prison industrial complex, troubles in the Middle East, and drug policy. The first big 'political topic' I was fully invested in was the Afghan/Iraq war, of which I was massively against.
Another thing for me was smoking weed at around 14/15 maybe? It taught me a huge amount of empathy for others (I honestly can't overstate that enough). I don't know why, or how, but it just seemed to open a door in my head that was previously...not closed, but not fully open either. Seeing things from others' perspectives and trying to put myself in their shoes kinds deal, and just a huge feeling of being bummed out at the plight of others. From calling poorer people 'scaffs' to feeling like absolute shit that I used to do that, and that I was walking round in the latest fucking trainers or whatever and they weren't and were being picked on for that taught me that the situations people found themselves in often weren't their own faults and to not judge people for stupid shit.
All of this left me feeling pretty hardcore politically engaged from around 15 onwards, and while I've never been one to read Marx or huge political texts or anything, I've since been as informed on topics as I can be and have a huge interest in UK, US and to a lesser degree Middle Eastern politics. I've voted Green (or SNP) for every election I've voted in, Yes to Scottish Independence and No to Brexit. These days the things I try to push are trans-rights, how immigration (especially in Scotland) is a hugely positive and flat out needed thing and just empathy for others who are less fortunate or in shitty situations. I've never placed a label on myself, but I guess I fall somewhere in the Leftist/Socialist/Social Democrat sphere.
So yeah, I'm just wondering what you think helped form your political beliefs. Upbringing obviously has a huge part to play up to a point, but there's so many outside factors that could influence where you stand, and from a board as diverse (maybe not politically diverse, but culturally) as Era, I'm interested to hear others thoughts.
