A few weeks before finals, two of my friends and I, always on the search for adventure, found a free weekend and decided to go on a road trip to Moab, Utah. Now spending excessive amounts of time in a tiny, enclosed space such as a car is generally not my cup of tea, but I decided the destination would be worth the 11 hour round trip drive. Most of the vacations I had been on in the past with my family were planned out day by day like where to visit, what to eat, when to wake up in the morning. But the beauty of this trip would be its simplicity: on that Friday after classes we would pack all our supplies into a car, hop in, drive to Moab, camp and explore for the weekend and return to campus on Sunday night.
It was during this wonderfully simple road trip that we had one of the most complex and thought provoking conversations I had been a part of in a long while. All three of us are from different states, with different religious beliefs, political views and general interests. Thus, there were naturally opposite viewpoints on the current presidential candidates for the election this November. We crammed a Bernie Sanders enthusiast, Donald Trump supporter and extremely undecided future voter all together in one car, and were able to discuss the election and the potential implications of each candidate without fighting. There was an unspoken agreement to listen to each other even if we personally disagreed with the other person's opinion. We could each share our own views and life experiences, even if they all were the complete opposite, but we never argued or felt disrespected. During the conversation, it was integral to discuss these issues in a way that refrained from driving other people away from seriously considering your opinion and was not insulting. It was crucial to realize that each opinion, though different, was equally valuable.
Through this memorable conversation and others I had the privilege to be a part of over the past year, I have realized the importance of having the courage to talk about highly controversial topics. In today's society there is social pressure, family pressure, and countless other forms of pressure that influence individuals' personal beliefs. Regardless of your personal beliefs and how they align with those of the majority, it is important to have the bravery to openly discuss controversial topics and equally important to do so respectfully and with an open mind. You don't have to feel comfortable talking about the topic and it is completely acceptable to admit that you don't completely understand all aspects of the debate. However, if we never have the guts to bring up and think about potential solutions to major problems, how will these problems ever be solved?
It is not easy to discuss highly debated topics like immigration or gun control. However, it is necessary. In order for us to solve problems, we have to be able to think critically and consider other opinions without being too concerned about being proven wrong. If we can make a cultural change and accept that is vital to discuss current issues in a respectful way, we could be one step closer to actually solving some of the problems we face today.
