It’s happening now—zombies are taking over American politics, and you might be one.
Monsters, in any medium, can represent the overarching fears of the contemporary moment. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein as a discussion of the dangers of modern, amoral science. The original Godzilla film was a harsh critique of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki along with the beginning of the nuclear age.
In our present day, zombies, with their incessant shuffling and desire for brains, are used as a stand-in for social homogeneity. Indeed, we are facing a very real form of zombie in our political discourse and across social media. You’ve seen them, and you might have even been unfortunate enough to fall victim to their attacks.
Political zombies: those with a vague glimmer of political engagement and only a shell of individual thought.
Writers often refer to this as political tribalism, and it cuts across party lines. The reasons for this are multifold, but the end result is an increased division that impacts our daily life. That division doesn’t translate into a society that openly debates one sides’ position against another. Individuals and thought leaders dig in their heels and succumb to dogmatic thinking, where ideas are not questioned and certainly not challenged.
We The People has already discussed the homogeneity that has permeated our college campuses. This has caused at least some professors to worry that not only is credibility sacrificed, but also sound public policy. As Joshua Dunn, professor of Political Science at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs describes:
Not only do scholars ignore research questions that could inform and improve public policy out of political fear, but policymakers also sometimes dismiss academic research because they view the academy as completely politically compromised.
This sounds pretty bleak–not unlike George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead–but not without hope. In Dunn’s mind, the key to moving past the zombie-like state of our political discourse is open communication– and We The People wholeheartedly agrees.
Fostering communication is not easy–which is why it doesn’t happen. But it is not impossible. Groups are forming across the country and on social media to bridge the gap and foster critical thinking. As individuals, we can approach people where they are, with love and respect, and armed with the most accurate information.
We The People is here to provide resources and encouragement for everyday Americans who want to heal the political divide in our country. Please consider donating to our cause, and together, we can stop the political zombies that stalk our cultural landscape.