In light of recent accusations at Colorado Mesa University, and the upcoming election, politics have been on my mind. I mean, how could they not be, considering the perpetual political propaganda plaguing every corner of the internet? Along with everyone else, I’m fairly interested in the political opinions held by others. Call me nosy or interfering, but the outcome of this election doesn’t only rest in my hands and I seek therefore to understand the arguments of other voters.
That being said, how easy should it be to detect the political standpoint of others? How comfortable should we be with throwing our opinions out there for others to consider? If you haven’t kept up with local news, this idea is under question at our own university. “The Criterion” released information that Professor Stanton had the campaign director of Work in Progress talk to his international business class. The lesson was about leadership positions, but many students believed the visit was more of a promotion of the Hillary Clinton campaign. Many complaints were made, and the situation is currently being assessed.
The core question we face is do we have the right to explore our own political opinions and at what point does it encroach on others? We live in a society where “free speech” is tacked on to every controversial statement, but does that make our outright projections acceptable?
Coming from a college student, who, to put it bluntly, doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing, I enjoy hearing varying viewpoints on the issues our society faces. If I have an extremely liberal professor, I can respect his opinion. Same with anyone who is conservative. What matters most to me is how that opinion is conveyed. A strong, educated explanation will get me a lot farther than a passionate insult.
There is something to be said about the environment, too. If I’m in a math class and my professor goes off on a tangent about the current election, I can’t say I would be too impressed. But, if I’m in class and my professor makes a lighthearted, witty interjection that relates to his political view, that’s fine. Your political view isn’t something you should be afraid of sharing, but it is something you should carry with its controversy in mind. Don’t just bust it out without any context or purpose.
College is a time where we should be open to exploring our world and all the opinions that roam free within it. That should be appreciated and even celebrated. At the same time, do not get offended if political party crap fights its way into a conversation because at this point, it’s probably programmed into our brains thanks to the tension on social media and glorious campaign commercials. Just keep it classy, keep it informative, and keep it relative.
