Better Together: Why Politics Does Not Have to Divide Us

     The single biggest issue in the country right now is hatred, myopia, and a lack of understanding others. This lack of understanding does not exist because we cannot understand each other; rather, it is because we don't want to. People on the left think people on the right are uneducated and hateful, and people on the right think left-wingers are prigs trying to push a gay and trans agenda on kids. Each side thinks the other is trying to send our country to hell and is malevolent. This is not true. We all want the same outcomes (for the most part), but differ on how to get there. Politics today has become the art of reprisals and obstruction of the other side, but things do not have to be this way. To me, politics is the art of the possible!

    My university, the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), had an event on April 8 called "Bear Biographies," where you share stories about your identity. I was asked by Amber Wilson to sign up to be a book but did not know what I wanted to talk about. After remembering a conversation I'd had with a friend, I decided it would be equally interesting and informative if I talked about my experience with differing political views from my family and friends. It is sometimes hard work, but terribly important in today's climate. Here is how I do it.

    For those of you who do not know, I am a Republican. *cue shocked faces and eye rolls* Many people in my life are annoyed by my Republicanism, but I have my values just as they do and am entitled to my opinions just as they are. The first thing people assume about me when they find out is that I am a Trump supporter. While I understand that assumption (he is the leader of our party right now), it annoys me because that is where things go wrong. Assumptions. The first thing we need to do is let go of our assumptions.

    We use identity labels such as someone's race, nationality, or political affiliation as a heuristic to reach conjectures about someone. If I tell you that I am a Republican, that does not tell you much about me at all. If you are a Democrat, it may well signal that I am more conservative than you are, and maybe you can accurately predict my opinions on issues such as school choice, policing, and the electoral college; however, it does not tell you my views on what we should do to balance the budget and fix the deficit. The point is, we need to look beyond party labels and actually listen to the person. Every person in any group is different. Even political parties have factions on either side of the political spectrum!

    At this event, I talked to people who wanted to listen and learn from me. I wanted to listen and learn from them. We were able to politely discuss issues we disagreed on and find common ground on them. Yes, sometimes you have to agree to disagree, and that is alright because the main goal of political dialogue (or any dialogue at all) is not merely persuasion; it's understanding. I am a persuasive speaker and writer (at least that's what I'm told), but sometimes I cannot persuade people of the benefits of the death penalty. We may not bring our interlocutor to our side, but if we can elucidate our worldview, we can make our country a little less ignorant and a bit more tolerant. 

    When talking to Democrats, I try to identify something we can agree on. Usually, I can connect with Democrats on ways to fix the budget. Namely, tax increases on the rich, gradual cuts to military spending, and minimal cuts to Medicaid. We can sometimes agree on a social issue like gay marriage/rights. If I can, I try to agree on an issue or two before I get into a deep disagreement. Even if I fundamentally disagree with them on a topic, if there is something about the issue we can agree on, we can do that. Maybe I like the President's deportation plan, but, like a Democrat, do not like the way he is selling it or the way it is being implemented. Starting from a point of agreement can disarm both of us and make the conversation feel more like a friendly chat and less like an intense debate.

    I won't bore you with admonitions and anecdotes, but I will end on this important note. We should not think people are stupid merely because of their worldview. The liberal story is that the country needs progress to make the world fairer for people who have long been marginalized, whereas the conservative story is one of traditions that have made America strong and need to stay in place to maintain our economic, military, and social strength. Where does the optimal solution lie? Probably somewhere in the middle (in being biased, I believe it's somewhere closer to the conservative side), but we do not see candidates truly in the middle. Research done by splitticket.org shows that moderate incumbents in both parties tend to win more. Blue Dog and New Democrat incumbents win more often than Progressive ones do, and "Main Street" Republican incumbents win more often than Freedom Caucus ones do. I am not encouraging you to be a moderate, but I am definitely telling you that it pays to be a uniter instead of a divider.