When brainstorming ideas trying to come up with something I’m actually passionate enough about that I may want to spent an entire semester writing on, my mind was continually taken to one specific place. In our society it has become common to turn on the news or open the newspaper and immediately hear of some horrible hate crime, mass killing, or act of terrorism. It would be more uncommon to go months or even weeks without one of these tragic events occurring. We as a nation, seem so divided.
Political parties have divided the people of our country since 1796 when the first election in the history of our country was held where candidates ran for office as members of specific, organized political parties. Of course, these parties held very different and seemingly opposite political principles. Specifically, this past election seemed to be more controversial than ever and certainly one that divided many people in our nation. According to an article posted by the Washington Post, more than four in ten democrats and republicans say the other party’s policies are so misguided that they pose an actual threat to the nation (WashingtonPost.com).
Being a college student at a large university, unfortunately, I see this division of people first hand. Immediately following Trump’s election into office I watched hundreds of college kids storm the streets of Oakland protesting until three or four in the morning. The day following the election I witnessed an informal Trump rally form outside of Sennott Square that included students handing out flyers listing ways Trump can help our country. The students around me seemed to instantly become more divided than I had ever seen. Speaking out about your political opinion today, especially at a large university has certainly become a quite scary thing to do.
Aside from politics, there have been over three hundred and twenty mass shootings (the F.B.I. defines a “mass” shooting as the killing of three or more people) in the US in 2017 (abc15.com). Horrible acts of extreme hate such as the Las Vegas shooting and the bombing at the Ariana Grande concert are all too common in today’s media.
Additionally, racism in our country seems to be at an all-time high. The incidents that occurred this past year in Charlottesville Virginia remind us that racism seems to be alive and in our society. Hundreds of people chanting anti-black, anti-LGBT, anti-Jewish, and anti-Muslim chants in Charlottesville became the largest public demonstration of its kind in generations. Hate crimes seemingly motivated by dislike of a specific religion are also all too common nowadays.
George W. Bush said it best when he said, “At times, it seems like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together.” How then, can we unite as a country and get along? A tough question to answer of course, but one that certainly deserves a lot of attention in today’s society. When will the violence and hate stop? When will we stand together as one group of people with the best interest of others in mind?
I very much identify with the feelings and frustrations you identify. I think the quote from George W. Bush is a good one: “At times, it seems like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together.” It does feel that way.
But how do we turn feelings like these into something useful? What might be the goal here? I worry, for instance, that harmony as a main objective can have a price not worth paying. On MLK Day, it seems appropriate to share a quote related to these terribly complicated problems and feelings you describe above:
“I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear?…It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr., “The Other America,” 1968
I’ll leave that quote without interpretation, but it feels relevant to me in this discussion. What do you make of it? I ask that genuinely. It is a complex problem of trying to compromise or reach out out while also making clear that you won’t budge on certain things. It is complicated, no? Hmm.
What might you make a campaign of? Programs to get people of opposing ideology to speak candidly together? Programs to promote shared values? Something local to Western PA? Promoting decorum in political conversation somehow? Interventions on social media writing and conduct? What other possibilities? Finally, be careful not to be too broad here. Mass shootings may not have anything to do with electoral politics, for instance (maybe they do, but might be difficult to do the work of proving that and also staying focused on your goals in your campaign).
Looking forward to seeing where you go with all of this!
This was an interesting post to read about. While I understand where you are coming from (being a supporter of the black lives movement, supporter of LGBTQ+, an immigrant, and a jewish person). However, with all of this I start to think about division. If you think the Trump protests as a division, why cant you also think of it as people coming together to fight something they do not support? Division between Democrats and Republicans put together groups of people who are fighting, or supporting, interests that they have in common. There will never be a time where everyone will agree with your opinion and you agree with all of their opinions. Division in ideology and opinion gives the country the diversity it says it is built off.
Everyone coming together would always be nice but with Presidents, Politicians, and other people in high positions have separate ideas for what it is good, that could never happen. To agree with you, I wish people had different ways of having their opposing opinions heard. There is no need for severe statements and actions to let people hear you out. However, with that, people must be open to understanding other people’s thoughts! Staying open minded is the key for what George Bush was saying with more of the “forces binding us together.”
I would agree that differences in political opinions are very strong today. Last year’s campaign was one of the most polarizing ones in our country’s history. However, I think it is sometimes helpful to remember that this is not uncommon. People do not always agree. Wars have been fought in this country over politics (civil war). In the grand scheme of things, a peaceful protest in the city is not the worst thing to happen after an election. Regardless of what side of the political spectrum you are on, it should at least be refreshing to know that this is one of the few places in the history of the world where people are able to speak out so freely about their beliefs.
Violence is certainly a major problem in today’s society. The biggest problem I see is with the improvement in technology, people that wish to harm others can now do so more easily than ever before. However, as a whole violent crime has been steadily decreasing in this country over the past twenty years: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/02/21/5-facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/ . Although there have been some atrocities such as the ones you mentioned, as a whole violence is steadily becoming less prevalent. I do think violence is heavily reported in the media which may make people believe that violence is actually increasing.
Finally, I agree that race relations today are a major issue. However, I hardly think it can be said that racism is at an “all time high”. I am not trying to say things are anywhere near perfect, but objectively it is very clear that minorities currently suffer much less than they did in the 1960s.