It's no mystery that this year's election cycle has been perhaps one of the most chaotic, clownish elections ever, and certainly the strangest election within the last century. More people are voting for their candidate because they dislike the other one so much - voting for the lesser of two evils, as they see it - rather than voting for the candidate they actually support for their policies. Elder generations have commented that this is certainly one of the strangest election cycles in their lifetimes, and people voting for the first time after turning eighteen are bemoaning their first election for what it is: a joke. And truthfully, it's all exhausting.
Not only has this election been a complete mess, both sides of politics, liberal and conservative, are more polarized than ever. Talking to strangers has become walking on eggshells for fear of unintentional offense, which is ridiculous. We have redefined the words feminism and social justice to have a negative connotation, and broadened what we would consider racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise. And I think in the wake of doing this with good intentions, we have only made relations between all different groups much worse.
The election is what it is largely because of political polarization. Donald Trump appeals to a population who is tired of being grouped as "the bad guys" (extremists not included - we can all pretty much agree extremism on any side is a bad thing) simply because of who they are, how they grew up, how they look, and how they see the world. Hillary Clinton appeals to a population who is sick of having their problems swept under the rug.
As with many problems, the solution lies somewhere in the middle. For a long time, we were making progress in race relations, LGBT+ acceptance, and really making America the coexisting melting pot that we've made it out to be. But then, it wasn't quite enough. Progress wasn’t fast enough for some, and they pushed it too far. Now we are at a place where differences aren't just pointed out reasonably; they're thrown in people's faces as if shouting for acceptance is better than just asking for it. I don't meant to demean any one group's problems - I fully recognize there is still racism in this country and a lack of LGBT+ acceptance - but we are making more progress than we are given credit for.
That all being said, it's exhausting to talk about. I realize they're important issues, but everything has been beaten into the ground. I don't want to hear the next offensive thing Donald Trump said. I'm sure it was horrible, but I already know that about him. I don't want to hear the next scandal Hillary was involved in. I don't want to get into a debate about politics generally because especially in today's political climate, I'm not going to change anyone's opinion. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I wish we could all just accept each other's similarities and differences and get on with our lives.
It feels like life stops when politics happen. Everyone gets angry for a week and then we forget about it. Maybe it would mean more if we all actually did something about it, but for the most part, there's angry Facebook posts and Youtube rants, and then it's over. We criticize our politicians for all talk and no action, but we do the same thing, with very few exceptions.
I realize I'm in the position to say all of this because I am lucky enough not to have to deal with the disadvantages afforded to minorities. But I do think it's reasonable of me to say that hate should not be fought with hate - it only creates more anger and I'm tired of an angry America. Let's be reasonable and sit down and have a conversation with open minds on both sides. There is always more than one side to a story, even if it doesn't seem so.
It is a proven psychological fact that we are all biased to stick to our own sides on issues, discrediting opposing articles and using articles with the same ideas as you to reinforce the idea that you are right. With that in mind, arguments render the same results - no progress, no change in thinking. Yelling at people that they're wrong doesn't make them change their mind and suddenly think you're right because you're angry enough at them. Conversely, if we are kind to each other, we tend to view each other with more acceptance, and we spread the kindness to others around us. If we could make that happen, we could cool the fiery political tensions in our country and make it truly wonderful.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." I hope we can all remember to heed his wise words.
