As I sat staring at the blinking cursor in Word contemplating what will most likely be my last column, a variety of possible topics swirled through my mind. Should I go out with one last salvo at the despotic Bush administration? Perhaps I could make one more attempt to intellectualize the ridiculous War on Drugs or comment on the evils of multinational corporations or discuss aspects of sustainable living.

The more I thought about it though, the less right it felt to end my columns the same way I began them and the more right it seemed to look back at how it started.

I began opinion writing to carry on in some way after [former Daily columnist] Ramsey Tesdell. For those of you who didn’t know Ramsey, he was an outspoken political and social activist who’s still trying to change the world. That was the banner I chose to carry – I wanted to change the world.

I came into this position with absolutely zero journalistic experience. Truth be told, I started writing because I was disappointed with the lack of substantial commentary and insight. Rather than complain, I decided to try my own hand at writing weekly columns.

Just as I came to this position with no experience, I also came without a concrete set of political and social beliefs. Like many college students I had vague ideas concerning several issues, but they were unexamined and largely uninformed ideas. I don’t know if I could have come into the political environment at a better time. Regardless of your political leanings, these past eight years have been chock-full of never-before-seen developments and changes in the political landscape.

And so I stumbled onto the editorial scene, head full of ideas but lacking any substantive rationale for them. I quickly became fascinated with the world of politics and international relations, but the romance was short-lived.

As my own political identity emerged, I quickly found myself frustrated with and often shocked by the surreal landscape of politics. While I became increasingly disturbed by the actions of our politicians and echo chamber of the mass media, I developed an increasing respect and admiration for the independent media.

If there is hope for our democracy, it lies with the free press. It should be no surprise that freedom of speech and a healthy democracy are inextricably interconnected. The Internet has contributed greatly to the ability for independent journalism, with sites such as Alternet, Huffington Post and Democracy Now! all contributing to a strong voice. Free speech and freedom of choice are the foundations of our way of life, but they are rights which must be maintained.

Inherent in our democracy is a right to choose – to choose what we say, believe, listen to, think and do. When we simply choose to listen to the talking heads, when we choose flashy graphics over substantial information, when we choose yelling and insults over intelligent debate, we risk losing that right to choose.

As I said earlier, I didn’t come into this job a full-fledged political junkie, but it turned me into one. And once you’ve tuned in, you might find that you can’t, and don’t want to, stop paying attention.

This is my final plea as I end: Regardless of your political affiliation, pay attention, read a dissenting point of view and question what you’re being told. Hopefully Naomi Wolf’s dystopic view of America is not coming true. I’d like to believe that the spirit of dissent and true patriotism still flows in our veins. Patriotism is not wearing a flag lapel pin or putting a magnet on your car, patriotism is not consuming like it’s your duty.

Patriotism is questioning those in authority; patriotism is challenging those who claim to rule divinely or who act without thought for those less fortunate than them. Dissent is patriotic.

– Quincy Miller is a senior in English from Altoona.