The Rise of Tomi Lahren:

Unless you’ve completely abstained from social media over the past American election cycle, you’ve become aware of the television and internet show host, Tomi Lahren. Specifically, Lahren’s online segment, Final Thoughts with Tomi, has gone viral multiple times. The short clips usually include an angry Lahren giving her thoughts on political issues of today i.e. Black Lives Matter, the 2016 election, religious freedom, etc. Her videos have gained praise from many on the right-wing conservative side of the political spectrum and criticism from left-wing liberals. Not only have her videos gone viral, but even an article, critical of the political pundit, entitled 2017 Doesn’t Need Tomi Lahren, has spread among her detractors. Whether you love or hate the woman, she’s been everywhere this last year and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon.

Re-surfaced Tweets:

Recently, old tweets of Lahren’s have been brought to light by her critics. The tweets have been used by some to paint her as a hypocrite. Lahren, who often criticizes the left for promoting victim-hood and can often be heard telling millennials to stop whining and get a job, tweeted in 2013: “Bad news: had to get a job. Good news: It’s at my mom’s store and chill as F. #livinthedream.” This tweet, among others, has been used to attack Lahren’s credibility as a political analyst. Other tweets include her discussing her drinking habits and clubbing experiences. I, personally, am not a huge fan of Lahren’s. I find her videos annoying and can’t say I agree with a majority of what she says. However, I also find that using nearly four-year old tweets to discredit her because you disagree with her politics is petty. Following the unearthing of these tweets, thousands of Twitter users retweeted Lahren’s tweets in what I assume was an attempt to expose her as a hypocrite.

Lahren Responds:

Lahren took to Facebook Live last week to address the tweets in question. Giving context to some of them by simply admitting that, like most college students and young people, she likes to go out drinking with friends. She also explained that her tweet about having to get a job was referring to her time on summer vacation. She then went on to explain that she worked her way through school and that was why she was able to pay off her student loans. The comment section of the video was flooded with criticism and praise for her handling of the situation.

The Bigger Problem:

I’ve found that I disagree with a lot of Lahren’s opinions. However, the thing I’ve come to understand in watching this whole situation unfold is that we seem to have lost the ability to disagree. We’ve drawn lines in the sand based on our politics rather than building bridges to have conversations about our politics. I’ve seen very little of discussing why we believe her viewpoints are wrong, and a whole lot of why she’s a hypocrite for tweeting “#popthatp.” If we approach everyone we disagree with in this way, we lose the chance for conversation that can be educational. Instead of education through conversation, we’d rather use belittlement because it’s easier and doesn’t require us to listen to another viewpoint.

Empathy Goes a Long Way:

Something I’ve learned from having friends with varying viewpoints and from multiple backgrounds, both liberal and conservative, is that I can learn from either side of the spectrum. Am I always good at doing this? Absolutely not. It’s human nature to put ourselves into echo chambers of people we agree with.

If we agree with everyone around us, we can never be challenged. If we can never be challenged, we can never be wrong.

In the midst of the political chaos dominating our social media feeds on the left and the right, is a small group of people who seem to be calling for the reunification of our country. If we’re going to reunite as a country, we have to be able to listen emphatically and speak passionately to each other. We have to be able to accept that not everyone is going to agree with us all the time. Recently, a perfect example of this involved Lahren and Daily Show Host, Trevor Noah. The two had a discussion over Lahren's viewpoints on various issues on Noah's show. Lahren knew going into the situation that no one in the room held her beliefs, but she voiced them anyway. Noah knew that her viewpoints were completely different from that of his yet gave her a platform to voice them.

Perhaps interacting with people that are different than us is the first step in coming together as a nation. I know it's easy to think that people who disagree with us will not listen to what we have to say, but maybe if we took the first step, it would open the door. Either way, whether it's politically or relationally, I've found that empathy builds more bridges than walls.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."