If you are like me at all, you probably think that politics are pretty important. They shape the world and they help determine who gets what. People who are involved in politics are often passionate about their work because they believe there is a lot at stake. There is nothing wrong with this at all. However, I think there is such a thing as taking politics too far, which contributes to the current political gridlock. Let me explain.
Many people I know let their politics define them. They have said, "I could never marry someone with different political beliefs from me." Some even go so far as to say they cannot be friends with people with different political perspectives. The logic behind this is that someone with different political beliefs must have different values, and therefore both sides cannot get along because of this contradiction. Political values are important and shape everyday life, but I do not believe that they dictate every aspect of a person's character.
I have loved many people with different political beliefs from me. Usually we don't talk about politics, but rarely do I find that I cannot connect with these people on a deeper level because of this. I would say that many of my friends with different political views than me still have similar values, even if they think issues should be handled differently. And I do not think that acknowledging this and choosing to love the person anyways makes me "disrespect" or ignore my political views. I do not always have to be advocating for my political beliefs to be a political and engaged person.
Just because you have a strong belief, it does not mean you are right. I believe that some of the smartest people can dedicate their lives to public service and study political trends for years, but they will not be capable of determining what is best for every single citizen. Modern society is much too complicated. That is why political collaboration and compromise is essential. If you think of the other political party as "evil" or any other negative adjective, you are almost dehumanizing them and allowing political gridlock to continue. Refusing to acknowledge the other side as legitimate is dangerous, because we won't listen to the other people with essentially the same goals as us - to make a better, safer, more prosperous society.
Trust me when I say this, it is so much fun to stand on a soap box and scream your perspective to the world. And it is easier to do so when your audience all agrees with you. It is so much harder to have a conversation with a person from the other side and sincerely try to understand where they are coming from. But friends, I think that is how we are going to fix this problem of division in the US.
Instead of complaining to all your similarly minded friends, try writing a letter to your local representative. Bonus points if you write to someone from the political party that you don't like. Try to explain your case, and reason with them as one human being to another. Don't be afraid to talk to someone if they say something you don't agree with politically. Try to get to know them on some other level (there is more than just one). Once we stop labeling each other as "Democrats" vs "Republicans", I think we will calmly learn to compromise and begin to fix some issues. I mean, screaming at each other hasn't really been working.... so this is worth a shot, right?
