Election season is coming to an end, and if I had a dollar for every time I heard “Trump lover” as an insult, I expect I wouldn’t have to worry about my grades anymore.
As with any election year, people on both sides react with instant hostility toward anyone who disagrees with them, producing an environment that shuts down intelligent and necessary conversation before it has even started.
Such hostility stems from stereotypes that are more harmful than humorous. The preconception that all conservatives are truck-loving racists and liberals are just naive college kids is an inaccurate one, but one that people latch on to all the same. As with all stereotypes, the majority of those for whom it applies do not fit this mold at all, especially in an election where the candidates are so dramatically different than traditional Republican or Democratic nominees.
Which is why in this election, maybe more than others, it is so important to keep an open mind concerning why people are supporting who they are. As a teen, it can be especially difficult for me to hold my tongue. I am old enough to form my own political opinions but not old enough to vote, so talking about the presidential candidates feels like the only contribution I can make toward this year’s election.
In high school, this leads to passionate and often heavily biased conversations, ones that too often stray from real political issues to the size of the candidates’ hands or the sounds of their voices. Young people, especially, are swayed by such observations because of our constant interaction with social media, one of the biggest offenders when it comes to confusing fact with opinion.
At Durango High School, I’ve noticed that if our peers support Donald Trump, it has become reason enough to label them as crazy. On the other side, visiting my conservative relatives in the South opened my eyes to a special kind of hatred for Hillary supporters. You don’t have to agree with or support their decision, but using it as an insult is immature and unproductive. Building relationships with people who disagree with you on issues, political or otherwise, isn’t crazy, it’s healthy.
I see the best example of this in my church. St. Mark’s Episcopal church is a community filled with both self-proclaimed die-hard liberals and conservatives alike. Despite being as far apart politically as you can reach, I see a congregation the members of which not only have a deep level of respect for one another, but also one that is full of great leaders.
Susan Stamets, a member of St. Mark’s shared with me her experience of being a liberal Democrat who tries to balance life as a Christian.
“I think it’s critical to respect people whose political/social justice opinions differ from mine for many reasons,” she said. “I have neighbors with whom I disagree on just about everything except that we are neighbors and we care for each other and are there to help each other; how could I not respect their right to disagree with me?”
Stamets added,“By the way – neither my neighbors nor my fellow church members have much doubt about where I stand on issues – we just don’t rub each others noses in our differences.”
All this is easier said than done, of course. It’s hard to understand, or even want to understand, the point of view of anyone who disagrees with you, but it is important nonetheless.
A prime example of this importance can be seen in the partnership of Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich during the 1990s. Putting aside the liberal and conservative wings of their respective parties, Clinton and Gingrich worked together to pass welfare reform legislation, tax cuts, bills for crime prevention and eventually, a balanced budget, all of which boosted the economy.
The reality is, I’ve found my opinions are more respected when I listen to others, and I always end up learning something along the way. Brushing off people who disagree with opposing political opinions as crazy, naive or even “basket of deplorables” encourages nothing but closed-mindedness and immaturity in an election year where it can’t be afforded.
Caroline Knight is a features editor at El Diablo, the Durango High School student newspaper. Her parents are Preston and Renée Knight of Durango.
