No Interest in Interest Groups, by Christopher Michels

            I am extremely passionate when it comes to United States History. When it comes to the Presidency, wars, or globalization, I am all ears and ready to go. However, some of the more trivial details of our History slide by me as uninteresting. One such topic that recently came up in class is interest groups. Most of what I know about interest groups comes from summer mornings in South Dakota. Every commercial break during the Price is Right on CBS would have commercials dedicated to A.A.R.P. This is probably because the Price is Right is traditionally for an older audience, but I still loved it. Though I had no idea what interests groups were at the time, I was, however, able to use deductive reasoning to see that it was some sort of assembly of older people. I now know that it is the American Association for Retired Persons. So even when uneducated on the topic, interest groups were still part of my daily life.

            I now know more on the subject, and I see just how important they are. I believe in a free country such as the United States, interest groups are the one of the cornerstones of freedom.  Interests groups are perhaps the best examples of our basic rights of speech and assembly. However, just because interest groups have the rights to speak out does not mean they always get their way. A big example that comes to mind is People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a.k.a PETA. These people are able to air commercials, gather in large groups, and let their voice be heard. However, if it were up to them, no one would be able to eat meat, or even swat at a housefly. More people than not believe that PETA is too extreme. And even with the freedom of speech, there are still restrictions PETA has faced. I say this because again, I have a particular example in mind. It was for a super bowl in the mid 2000’s. A PETA commercial was actually banned from airing on national television, and for good reason. The PETA commercial started with a bathtub. There was a woman inside the tub, and her private parts were only slightly covered with bubbles. The woman proceeded to take a large pumpkin and lick it and caress it as if it were her lover. One can still find the commercial online if they would like. The point PETA was trying to get across is that vegetables can be just as delicious as meat…at least I think that was the reason. However, even if the message was good, it was way too odd and risky to be a commercial of the super bowl, especially after the Janet Jackson incident a year or two before.

            Another example of interest groups not always getting their way is the National Rifle Association. The NRA is a pretty basic group, they want to keep the right to bear arms. However, with high crime rates in the country, many are questioning whether or not this should be a basic right and if there should be more strict laws. Personally, I do not give a crap about guns. I do not think guns and the crime rate exactly go hand in hand. I believe even if there were strict gun laws, if a criminal truly wanted a gun, they would find a way to have one. It is not a bad idea to have a gun in the house for the safety of a family, as long as people are smart about it.

            Another problem with interest groups is their competitive nature. Even with the two examples I gave, there is hostility. PETA must hate the NRA because of hunting animals. Interest groups are important in democracy, but they are also a contributor in the two party system. Parties absorb an interest group to take a side and gain votes. I know now how important interest groups are, but they can still be a difficult topic to tackle.