What is it that makes me so unique from everyone else? Why is it that I'm studying to become a politican? When did I ever acquire my moral values through which I judge life? Who were the primal subjects that influenced me in my political education? Where have my political ideas been applied? It seems at first, that when I attempt to scour the recesses of my mind for my own unique political beliefs, I find none; but that insinuation is far from the truth, since every single decision I have ever made is influenced in great part by the political views and inclinations the people closest to me tend to exhibit. Now, having this in mind I can look at myself as an individual in retrospect and point out what, why, when, where and who have influenced my political beliefs the most, beliefs or standards I have unconsciously adapted. This period of my development is easiest to understand and analyze when it is divided into three categories which have changed me dramatically from being an innocent and clueless infant, to a judgmental cautious young adult.
Parents are such a fundamental piece of the puzzle when fitting together one's political viewpoints. This is no exception in my case. From the time I was very young, I can recall instances when I listened intently to my parents" political viewpoints and absorbed them as my own; such was the case in the early 1990s with the coming of the Gulf War. I specifically remember my mother and father calling this war "another Vietnam" in that more innocent young men would be unnecessarily sent over to Iraq to be senselessly murdered in the prime of their life. From the moment I first heard these statements, almost robotically, I began to mimic their opinions. This instance, quite interestingly, greatly helped me develop my own opinion on the present war in Iraq, and swayed me toward the liberal viewpoint.
My parents were a major factor in influencing my liberal political ideology early in life, yet it was not until high school that I began to become more politically cognizant.
