Annika+F’s+2018+OpEd+Article

DARE TO LISTEN



If the United States was to agree on one thing, it would be that our country is divided. The polarization of political parties has led to an increase in stereotypes, and uneducated opinions. Not only have “political bubbles” in the past been held responsible for bringing our government to a halt, but this mentality has bled into our everyday lives, leading people to huge (and commonly false) generalizations of others.

Inherently, people want to be surrounded by like-minded people. This is known as “homophily": The theory in sociology that people tend to form connections with others who are similar to them in characteristics such as socioeconomic status, values, beliefs, or attitudes.

Not only is this reflected in politics, but everyday life. Look at anything from a marriage to where somebody lives. For example, even the popularity of TV shows are sectionalized by region. How many Californians watch Duck Dynasty? Apparently not too many, but it is all the rage in the South. Everyone wants to fit in, and agreeing is the easiest way to blend in. But, since we are all approaching the age of actually being able to vote, it is about time for each of us to start thinking for ourselves.

Before we continue, let me get a few things straight.
 * 1) What your political view is- Democrat, Republican, communist for all I care - does not matter at all. (For the purposes of this article)


 * 1) The point of this article is not to change your political opinion, but instead change how you approach politics.

“In politics as well as business, people are shaped by who they see—and who they don't.” -  Derek Thompson [|(The Atlantic)]

This is quite an interesting predicament, because the people who feel that certain regions of the US are so “bad”, have usually never visited these states; yet for some reason they feel they are experts on the situation! Having been to 26 states, I have personally met those “uneducated” Southerners throughout Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, and so forth. By no means am I saying that I plan on moving there, but I think in order to truly be informed you need to experience it yourself, instead of relying on other people’s biased opinions. This leads me to my next point: how people have allowed their political views to be isolated from the other side’s opinion.

=If you read it, it must be true. = Society today tends to rely on a single isolated source for all of their information. If you watch CNN, you must be liberal! If you watch Fox News, you must be Republican! NEWS FLASH!! Consider watching both! How can you have an educated opinion against the other side, if you don’t know what the other side is being fed to believe? The majority of news today is biased, usually labeled as FAKE NEWS FAKE NEWS FAKE NEWS. Instead of remaining in your “political bubble” and accusing the other side of the argument as wrong, know your facts and have a true intellectual conversation on the matter.

By remembering what a true conversation consists of, we can move forward at least respectfully, even with disagreement. Next time you find yourself in a political debate just remember: <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Until enough of us begin to listen to the other side, our country will remain divided.
 * <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">You do not know everything
 * <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Your OPINION is NOT a fact
 * <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Dare to listen!