When the government shutdown was first taking place, the whole world had a big laugh. Then they stopped.

Wait, the government’s being serious?

Social media sites exploded. Yes, the government is being serious. And so should we be, right?

The most important question, initially, seemed to be “How does this affect me?” Well, in all honesty, it doesn’t. When asked Dublin High Junior Aleia Villanueva whether or not the government shutdown has changed her life in anyway, the response was “no, not at all.”

“I thought it would mean schools would be down, everything public– libraries, police, fire stations,” said senior Camila Huang. Other Dublin High students had similar responses.

The government shutdown, in a very vague, short summary, basically means that all “non-essential” portions of the government will stop receiving funding. No, the president is still being paid a whopping 400,000 dollar salary. That’s mandatory.

So then what is “non-essential”?

National parks (ironically, Yosemite’s 123rd anniversary was the first day of the government shutdown). Museums. Small businesses. Food stamps. Free lunches for financially challenged families. Aside from a field trip or two, nothing really important was hurt, right?

Wrong. About 800,000 government employees stopped getting their paychecks when the government decided to close their doors. Thankfully, the House decided that these workers be re compensated for their lost pay as soon as the government shutdown ends. However, for the economically disadvantaged that are relying on government funds to stay afloat, this still means trouble.

But most of us aren’t economically challenged. If you’re reading this paper, most likely you’re from the Dublin area, a city a bit better off than many. So should we still care?

Junior Johnathan Stroh says “yes, because it [the government shutdown] put a bunch of people out of work.” Not only that, but Veteran’s affairs are being hindered as well. Veterans aren’t able to file any disability claims at the moment, with the Veteran’s Affairs offices closed. Sort of like a slap to the face for the ones who have defended our country, some people say.

The rest of the world is noticing too. Recently, President Obama cancelled a trip to an Asian Summit, leaving the spotlight for China to take. Other countries have seen this as a sign of a weakening American government at disarray.

Currently, the Republicans are advocating for a slow, eventual reopening of the government, while the Democrats are saying “all or nothing.” Our country is slowly reaching its debt ceiling. A three to four week shutdown estimates at about $55 billion. Whether or not Dublin High students should care about this issue, is up to you.