My name is Grace Mortimer and I have a problem with labels. Unfortunately, society can’t seem to function without them. In this election year, the labels that I’ve grown to detest most are Democrat and Republican. The criteria used to define gender, racial, and religious labels are constantly being challenged. Why not challenge the ideological limitations of political parties? Considering the extreme bias present in the media and the way information is affected by it, I’m convinced that definitive political categories are fundamentally flawed.
On a college campus, any mention of political parties is a trigger; they incite some of the most passionate and infuriating debates I have ever been involved in as a spectator of or as a participant. When I came to college, I expected an open landscape; I expected an intellectual exchange of ideas. For the most part, my expectations were met. Unfortunately, the reality of political parties seems to be a constant pressure to pick a side and an unhealthy animosity when a difference in opinion is voiced.
The two main reasons that political party labels bother me so are:
- I’ve never fully identified with one or the other.
- There is an expectation that everyone must conform to them.
Moreover, many individuals who are put off by a non-conforming political stance seem to not fully understand the implications of a binary position. Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than someone toeing their party’s line for the sake of supporting the party or vehemently arguing for a position solely because they’re “supposed” to feel a certain way. I respect people of all opinions, as long as those opinions are theirs. People love to feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves without taking the time to understand what the words Democrat and Republican truly mean. Individuals who claim to identify with a point of view without possessing the ability to support it is a major problem with our party system today.
However, I would like to make it clear that this is not a condemnation of individuals who haven’t yet formed an opinion on social issues, or who’s opinions aren’t fully prepared for an interrogation. My problem is with those who cling to the idea of a party rather than its core values. Personal values are constantly evolving and growing. College is quite literally supposed to be a place where people change. Social issues have never been cut and dried; otherwise there wouldn’t be anything to fight about.
Finally, it should be acceptable to completely abandon the idea that one political party has what you’re “supposed” to believe in. It’s also beneficial to be able to admit you were wrong and then learn from it. All it takes is a little effort to make space for a new opinion to be formed. One should always question the limitations set by society and push beyond the existing structure.
