As many of my blogs are responses to discussions in my residence hall, my last civic issues blog will be no different. Fresh off yet another argument regarding feminism today, I felt trapped in a corner with my opinions and values put into question. I had just been told that my opinions weren’t valid, valued, or even correct. As someone who places a lot of importance on being able to critically think and discuss social issues, I had no motivation to keep the debate going because I felt incapable of reaching other people and explaining my beliefs. The entire experience, coupled with other debates in my residence hall, has made me reflect on the value of civil discourse and the issues that America is facing today when it comes to discussing important issues.
After this past election, it was clear that American politics have become polarized beyond compare. Political issues became more personal than ever, and discussion between two friends could quickly transform into a heated argument if they were on two different sides of the political spectrum. Even the 2016 presidential candidates, demonstrated in their debates and campaigns, often used insults and argued without listening to the other side. As for my experiences, the day after the election was one of my worst days, not only because of the outcome, but because while I was wearing black as a symbol of the events that had just occurred, my other friends were ecstatic the entire day. One even mentioned to me, “It’s a good day to be a Republican.” We argued immensely prior to the election and in the weeks following it, most times without truly listening to each others’ opinions.
Since Donald Trump has been President, it is safe to say that the issue of non-civil discourse has deteriorated even further. Maybe I’m biased, but his actions regarding the media and labeling anything that doesn’t favor him as “fake news” clearly limit freedom of speech and the press. If the opinions of prominent news platforms are diminished to nothing by someone with millions of followers on social media, these platforms are being inhibited from sharing important information that the public needs to hear. The term “fake news” has even infiltrated everyday conversations with people of all ages; more specifically, it is used in arguments regarding political issues when one person does not agree with the other person’s opinion. Instead of listening and comprehending other sides, the term blocks all further conversation and makes people feel like their opinions aren’t valid.
Besides have detrimental effects on freedom of speech and the press in general, the state of civil discourse in the United States could also slow down the progress of social movements that are essential to advance our society. Discussion of different issues helps to inform people of pros and cons to new movements and lets them form their own opinions on issues. Although sometimes discussions in my residence hall can be discouraging and frustrating, there are many times when the discussions we have are insightful and help me learn more about the topic. Similarly, when I was in high school, my comparative politics class read a book about Vladimir Putin, and each day, we would have a discussion about what we read. One of my peers always advocated for Putin, and although I thought it was a bit annoying at the time, I realize now that it was important to listen to his opinions and learn from them instead of dismissing them as invalid or incorrect. Discussing issues is such an important tool for advancing social change and learning in general. With more and more barriers to these discussions becoming common in the United States, social change is being severely threatened.
Ultimately, discussions regarding social change are becoming increasingly polarized in the United States, and this polarization creates barriers that inhibit social change. I know that I’m guilty of dismissing opinions sometimes when they come from someone whose beliefs I do not agree with; however, I recognize that I do this, and I am actively trying to change my behavior. I observe the importance of listening to other opinions, and the harm comes from those who still believe that their opinions are above all else and put up barriers to conversations regarding these beliefs. Once everyone realizes that they need to put their egos aside in discussions regarding social issues and listen more than speak, we will be able to achieve real social change.
We’ve all been guilty of having the less than respectable discourse at some point, whether with family, friends, or people that you just can’t believe don’t see things the way you do. It’s normal but it really shouldn’t be because, like you said, it doesn’t allow you to hear the other side. But, at the same time, it shows the people around you that you don’t have the proper level of maturity to accept different mindsets. You can trust your own word and trust that someone else feels equally confident in their own idea. The most that you can do is present evidence for your side and leave it there.
After reading your blog I was really shocked. I went to a school where everyone despised Trump except for like 2 people, so reading that you, as a woman had to listen to other people praising a sexist, racist uneducated person really made me feel horrible because his supporters are some of the most unreasonable people whether an argument makes sense or not. Now that being said I don’t think civil discourse is dead, because I think this election in particular has drawn a lot of liberals out of hiding because of the extremes put in place by the Republican party after this election. I know in particular a lot of platforms have really started to focus on validating the irrelevancy that so much of the Republican party has been basing themselves on. Now this is obviously more polarized, but that also helps show a distinction between two separate parties and eventually something will shift if we continue down the road we’re heading. Just take it as a boost of your maturity that you are willing to listen to opposite viewpoints and eventually something has to change because if not, nothing will change and that is not a feasible plan based on the issues our country currently has.