How Aware Are You?

I'm aware because I'm interested in life around me. I read the newspaper, sometimes watch news on TV and talk with friends and family. My daughter is overwhelmed with a full time job, 4 children and poor health. She is aware because they talk at work as does her husband. We 3 talk about news.

I suggest that this woman chooses to not be aware. Just as many people do she thinks that if she doesn't know she's not liabile. She isn't taking control of her life. When something happens it's someone elses fault.

My granddaughter has been aware since at least 6th grade and maybe earlier. Teachers and students talk about what is happening.

What law was this person unaware of?

I follow local/state news a lot more closely than national/world news. I'll admit that I'm more concerned about things that affect my family and I directly. I mean, I TRY to be aware of what's going on in the world, but honestly, I get overwhelmed with it all.
I don't know how an adult functions (especially a parent!) without being somewhat aware of the news and information that affects his/her family. But some people prefer to be ignorant and then play the victim card.
I would say she's setting a horrible example for her children, basically raising them to believe that the world revolves around them and nothing else matters :-(

I do not watch TV unless I happen to be in the room while it is on. I do read the paper on the way to work so I do catch things there. I will also look at things online. Also, if it is a biggie, the DJs on the radio will be talking about it and listener opinion when I am listening on the way to take my older kids to school and on the way to the train. If I am going to travel, I will look up any construction/closures. Ignorance is not an excuse.

We had a tenant once that tried that. The street signs clearly state street cleaning/snow clearing days and residence hours. She got away with 2 tickets since she was new to the area but then they fined her for her continued "ignorance" and ignoring the signs. She was yelling at someone on the phone how she should not have to pay tickets.

I love it-- "I choose to remain ignorant so the world should cater to me".

Nah, really, I'm pretty good about being current with what's going on. This is usually facilitated by NPR, some online reading, some newspaper reading, and a bit of television news. AND I spend quality time with the kid and do the housework and whatnot. Oh, and we do things like read signs (parking ban? There will be signs!) or check the state DOT site before taking any sort of long trip. It's called being thoughtful and checking ahead.

Sorry, for the sarcasm, but ignorance is never an excuse. You know, the opposite side of that coin is that she's implying she's above judgment because she thinks she's a better parent than the average bear because she's choosing to be ignorant-- and that's pretty damn dumb.

Since I too live in Canada now (4 years) I'm wishing you'd fill me in on the new law were discussing !!

Just want to make sure I'm not oblivious.

I have to admit, there was a time I got my news from my husband or local friends when I had wee, nursing babies at home. I went through an 'oblivious' phase, but certainly wouldn't ever claim ignorance to be my ally.

Canuck, in your SWH, I could see this law potentially being a huge problem for people who don't treat household animals as dependent pets, but rather an inconvenience. And since moving to Canada and learning about the poor conditions of dogs and cats on the reserves, especially deplorable during the winter when their ears freeze off, etc...I wonder what the family pet history is of people who question or avoid or ban new pet laws.

Canuck

We read and watch news from all over the world...

We go to Thomas.gov to see what our employees on The Hill are doing.

We pay attention to street signs and laws too...sometimes it's overwhelming...especially with all the county meetings we have had over the last 5 years for our town's growth...lots of town meetings to discuss traffic, buildings, etc...

Sorry - but she can't claim ignorance - especially if this has been being discussed for six months. Where was her husband in all of this? Are you telling me that they don't TALK to each other???

No to oblivious. That's just wrong...you can't fix stupid. Is this an important law or just minor changes?

I listen to news radio on my way to work every day. It's a local station that covers local and national news. If I want more info, I then read the news from different perspectives online. I consider some effort at awareness (however one chooses to get it) a civic responsibility, just like voting.

I literally LOL'd as "do you prefer to be oblivious" because I know people like that and I just can't wrap my head around their thinking (or lack thereof).

I admit I get most of my information via FaceBook, but I subscribe to a lot of news feeds and things like my town's page, get text alerts from emergency services, am an informed voter, go to town meetings, am on the PTA board, attend board meetings for my kids' sports, read the church bulletin, and browse several newspaper websites regularly. I also get a lot of info pushed to me at work regarding the markets my company works in (finance and health care).

Overall, I'd say I'm pretty aware.

And really, has this person never heard "ignorance of the law is no excuse?" It's citizenship 101!

My job involves some world news so I follow that more than local. I so rarely watch local TV news and I feel badly about it. But timing just doesn't really work for when I might watch TV. When our kids are older, I'll feel like we should have the news on some. Otherwise, our local mothers' group will post things often, I listen to local radio all the time, there's a local newspaper I look at occasionally etc. There's so much info out there that's it's hard to keep up. This mom can say what she's wants but ignorance of the law is no excuse...

Just curious - what law is it that she didn't know about that she thinks she shouldn't have to be responsible for?

ETA - thanks for the extra info. I probably wouldn't know the law if I didn't have a cat. But I would be asking my vet with a new animal if there were local ordinances regarding my pet along with my first checkup. And of course, you can go online to find out the rules in your district, and I would definitely do that. Everytime I move somewhere, I go online and read about stuff like the municipal garbage rules, park info, etc.

If I missed something that has a fine attached to it, I wouldn't for a minute think that I shouldn't have to pay. And yeah, we've gotten dinged before because we forgot that we needed to get our tag renewed on one of our cars. (I just let the date get away from me - I DO know that tags have to be renewed, LOL!) The ding wasn't from getting a ticket because of the tag expiring. It was getting THREE tickets because the car was parked at the airport for 5 days. Three tickets in 5 days. Ouch. And yeah, I paid all three tickets... (And didn't forget again!)

I rarely watch our local news. I live in Packerland our 'news broadcasts' are often 50% or more the Green Bay Packer report. They are doing something at Lambeau Field, So and so STAR player has a hang nail or whatever. One of the few things that suspended the Packer Report was 9-11. I never listen to radio anymore.
I read the news feed on my aol page. I get local and national news.

About your friend.... A few years ago Wisconsin passed a law where you could be arrested for OWI or open container if you were sitting in your car with the radio on(operating) and smoking with an alcoholic drink. At that time I was an on the road salesperson and yes I smoke. When the weather got colder I would take a glass of wine and sit in my car in my jammies no purse or license and smoke a cig before bed. A friend warned me I could be busted for OWI or open container. I was like WTH. An Attorney affirmed he was correct. It's a dumb law. Few were aware of that law until I told them.

I am subscribed to (liked) several local new station's Facebook pages to keep up with any important local news like road closures, weather or something like today's school that went on lockdown after a threat was made. I scan the headlines on a few local news station's websites pages to keep up on anything important going on. I rarely watch the news on TV. It's too much doom and gloom for my taste to sit through and my kids don't need that in their life either. They know the world sucks enough without that, thank you very much. I don't read the paper.
You need to be at least basically aware of what is going on around you to be a productive member of society. I don't read every article posted up, I scan the headlines and read anything that looks important to me. But it's better than completely ignoring the world around me.
I spend plenty of quality time with my kids and still keep informed. It only takes a few minutes at most to check out a couple of websites.

I don't listen to mainstream TV news and haven't for the past 6 years. I look at and read alternative news sites on the Internet. I am also on Facebook, so I see/read what's posted. I also don't listen to the radio, but my husband does, so if he hears something, he lets me know. I do go and read our area TV online "newspaper" once or twice a week, or I go out to eat lunch and read the free newspaper they provide their customers (sometimes, our weekly eat out will be on Sunday so our family can read the Sunday paper). One of the alternative news sites I read daily--I get their daily newspaper--and that pretty much keeps me up to date on what's going on in the world. But with a nicer slant to everything--not the gloom and doom that the mass media likes to portray. But I do make a conscious effort to read/look at the mass media newspaper once in a while, so I can keep up on what's going on and what the thoughts/views are on certain issues.

I am actually quite aware of what is going on. Even overseas/international, as I have a lot of international friends on Facebook.

My daughter is in high school and is exposed to what she hears in school as well as the social media platforms she is on.

A lot of what is said in the popular press I don't agree with. Nor do I agree with all this pessimism and negativity they like to cloak everything in. I like optimism and positivity. If they could incorporate more of that into their writings and stories, I'd be more interested in reading/watching.

I'm aware of big news stories, but I'm pretty bad about local stuff. I knew when we were having a local voter registration crisis/ pending discrimination law because it was part of a national dialogue and some local friends were running events to combat it...

I try to keep track of voting days...I know the schools shut down here for the first day of hunting season :) but I'm always caught off guard by road closings, etc. I do listen to see if school is canceled when it snows..

I don't read any of our local papers because they're poorly written and boring and there's just no time after New York Times each day and listening to NPR. If I'm in a waiting room and there's a selection of magazines, I'll grab Time before a local paper. I rely on my FB feed for the super major local news since my friends read local papers :)

I don't watch news shows, well, I do watch when there's been a natural disaster in my area/state that is effecting people I know.

In college I was part of a research project where the hypothisis was that people who watch the news have a bleaker outlook on life than those who don't, that depression can be linked to watching the news.

It was over the top in proving people who keep up with world events, natural disasters, and crime have a more negative outlook on life in general.

I still see stuff all over everywhere, I can't help it.

Reading about stupid new laws like requiring cat licenses is not on the top of my list. My cats are indoor only and I could care less. I have a weather app on my phone. I look up kid events on the internet and listen to breaking news. I only get the weekend paper. I am to busy with my family to read the paper daily.