My uncle is a die-hard Republican, my neighbor is a loyal Democrat, and I am an Independent. How did you react when you read these descriptions? Did you feel anger at my uncle and love towards my neighbor? Or vice versa? Or are you angry at me for being an Independent since I cannot vote in any of the primaries in my home state of Pennsylvania?

These questions are for you to answer yourself. But I ask them because I notice that many people today are being judged based on their political party or stance. As a result, we hear stories of people not being served or they are outright disrespected. This guy was threatened by store employees at a cheesecake factory for wearing a Trump hat. Mainly it is against Republicans and Trump supporters, but one can probably find cases where Democrats have been disrespected too. Perhaps some of you reading this believe it is justified. Well, I hope to persuade everyone why we should not pass judgment based on one's political party because they are just a minor character. They do not fully reflect who someone is.

While political parties have a platform of ideas that are widely supported by their members, not everyone shares the exact same views. That is one reason for primaries, not every candidate applies the party platform in the same way. Some even want to change the platform altogether. Therefore, not every Democrat nor Republican thinks or feels the same way. I first learned this lesson when I took a sociology class at Harrisburg Area Community College. The professor, who is the neighbor I mentioned above, would make certain statements I associated with Republicans. Not only that, he made statements that I strongly agreed with as a registered Republican at the time.

There are many other characteristics about a person that tell you about them. Their religion. Their hobbies. Their manners. The political party only reveals a tiny amount of information about the person, just as one's favorite football team only shows who they want to win. Some of my closest and most caring friends are on the opposite side of the political spectrum, and I do not care. I care more about their friendship and who they are as individuals. I also do not make assumptions about their character. I am more likely to make assumptions about character if someone cuts off their friends for a different political opinion. It shows that they do not understand friendship and they refuse to respect free thinking.

What is worse about this trend of behavior is that it has spread beyond political rallies and government buildings. It has spread everywhere. Thankfully, I have met plenty of people of all ages who feel the same way as me, that political differences should not be creating this hostility. In fact, our democratic republic was founded on the principle that people of different views can live in peace and unity. At least, that is what I was taught.

Going back to the two people I mentioned. My uncle, the Republican, is a very caring person. He would not hesitate to help anyone. He sacrifices much of his time for his wife, two daughters, and three sons. He also serves on the local school board in his community, hoping to help make education better. My neighbor, the Democrat, has consistently volunteered at the local polls with his wife. As a professor, he wants students to think in depth about what they observe and be open-minded. He also wanted students to engage in the class and have civic discussions about sensitive topics. The lessons from his class have stuck with me. I hope this gives you a different perspective of these two great men I have the privilege of knowing. Their party labels do not say anything about the other characteristics I just described.

It is difficult to change one's feelings about political differences when the culture negatively influences it. Nonetheless, I beg each person reading this to begin overlooking political differences and observe the qualities that really matter. Continue to discuss and debate respectfully, but do not let politics define or influence your relationships. If we truly want to make America great again and stronger together, then I believe this is one of the best steps we can take.