2017 was a big year for politics. Our president is unlike any we’ve ever had and the political climate of the United States, like the climate of the world, is hotter than ever.

Head to Twitter or Facebook and you will find an endless supply of political threads and heated debates over various topics ranging from abortion rights to, well, honestly, people just trying to prove they’re smarter than everyone else.

My family is very engrossed in politics; this is good, though! It’s important to stay up to date on what’s going on with our government. However, my family is comprised almost entirely of Republicans; most of them agree with each other and most of them voted for Donald Trump.

Me? No, can’t say I voted for him... or even remotely thought about ever voting for him. In fact, my view on our current commander-in-chief is pretty much the polar opposite of many of my family members. This, amongst many other fundamental and philosophical differences, has led to many arguments between my family members and me — or sometimes all of them and me at once.

Ha. Haha.

It’s hard. It really can be hard. When it’s you versus eight others telling you you’re wrong it can get discouraging. But recently I’ve begun to realize how beneficial it is to have honest, calm discussions about the differences between my family members and me. It’s helped me come to understand that maybe the two sides of the aisle’s desires and vision for our country aren’t so different after all.

My family is caring. They are warm, welcoming people who would help anyone in their time of need. And yes, they’re all Republicans. I think too often in this day and age conservatives are made out to be cold-hearted, gun-loving, social-program-destroying monsters, but that is not the case with my family. Every day they teach me that when you generalize a group of individuals you will almost always be in the wrong.

I’m a very passionate person, and my emotions sometimes get the best of me when it comes to politics because our nation’s policies so greatly affect the livelihood and well-being of millions of people. Sometimes I would lash out at my family during our political, uh…discussions. But that’s not the way to do it.

I am thankful I have a family that challenges me to think deeper about things. They question my sources, they question my knowledge, and they push me to do better when it comes to understanding and reading about politics. It can be frustrating, but it’s for the best. They’ve made me more aware of how people’s heads on the other side of the aisle work. Which is vital if we, as a country, would ever like to get anything done.

All too often, people let their anger, emotions, and passion for a cause get in the way of logic and clear thinking; they listen to respond, not to understand. My family has taught me how to be respectful in debate and how to see problems from many different perspectives, instead of just my own.

So I challenge you, my dear reader, the next time you find yourself in the midst of a heated argument about some political issue, to do this: don’t get angry. Don’t raise your voice. Try your absolute best not to cut anyone off, and please, please don’t call anybody a snowflake. Respect the opinions you don’t agree with, conflict is necessary for change. No one’s asking you to agree with everyone, but yelling at them won’t get us anywhere good.