Paper feedback reflections:

The most helpful feedback that I received was recommendations about restructuring and clarifying my paragraphs surrounding the implications of polarization on political issues like the immigration debate.

I had already done much of the research long before choosing this topic, and the stunning fact for me was that there was actually relative consensus in the very recent past. The speed with which the two Americas has separated should be truly terrifying for anyone with sense, because such a drastic change in so short a time implies that political and social structures are going to be hit by a tidal wave before they even know what is happening. One could argue that the waves have already started to crash onto the shore. I also found it interesting that while virtually everyone agrees on the what, very few have asked why, and therefore nobody is actually addressing the problem.

The one thing that I want my readers to take away more than any other is an understanding of what is really causing the issue. A follow-up is that if something is not done about it, the very idea of America is going to disintegrate in a tragic victory for authoritarians and anarchists the world over.

In writing this paper, I have become better adept at balancing my own argumentation to remain essentially politically neutral while covering a very politically polarized debate in which misinformation completely skews the very idea of neutrality. This paper has (hopefully) trained me to be able to appeal to people across an entire, radicalized political spectrum and demonstrate that the entire debate has been grossly misstated by corrupt and greedy powers. Learning how to call out extremism in an effective but even-handed manner is something sadly lacking in today’s society, and I trust that this paper demonstrates that I possess some capacity in that regard, and that I am actively learning how to improve upon it.