When I was a little girl I always knew that my parents were about as far right on the spectrum as you can get. Growing up with very conservative parents, I had many ideas drilled into my brain. They only ever explained the Republican side of politics, but never the Democratic side. This added to how I saw the world at the time. Being 8-years-old I wondered why people were even Democrats because my parents weren't. The truth was, I never really understood either side of things at all. I had no idea what the differences in the two were, or that there were actually other smaller parties besides the big two.
The first time I heard the name, "Green-Tea Party" I envisioned a group of lavish people getting together drinking green tea that was held in small teacups. As I got older, I began to understand the differences. I wondered why we needed political parties at all? When I got to college, I was baffled at what I saw online. Friends fighting friends over the presidential candidates, calling the opposing side vicious names.
I saw my own family become divided over politics and what party was "right" or "wrong." When it came time for me to vote, I soon learned that I wanted neither. As a registered Independent, it seemed a lot more liberating because one is able to vote their conscious versus vote their party. I was able to shave off the party that politicians subscribed to, and look at the individual and their ideas and how they could benefit our country.
In college, I have had various professors try to push different political ideas on young students in order to influence them to vote a specific way. The two-party system seems to divide so many people. During the period of almost any election, Twitter becomes a battle-field. Our society urges us to stop "cyber-bullying" and other types of slanderous activities for our children and teens, but what about adults? How is it ever okay to call a stranger horrible names publically online?
At the end of the day, we are all humans that want similar things in the bigger picture: an economically prosperous country, the protection of our government to keep our rights, and a safe place for our citizens. The country would be much more effective if people were able to see past parties and look at issues objectively.
The Netflix Original Series, "The Designated Survivor" is a perfect example of an Independent president who chooses to look at views extremely objectively. He does not subscribe to one of the two major parties because of so much conflict and arguing that it can create. A lot of the fictional politics in the show how this would help our country.
Overall, I have respect for both Republicans and Democrats, as well as every other smaller party. However, my biggest wish would be for everyone to respect each other's views and understand that at the end of the day, we are all Americans.
