I have always loved a good argument. Another person’s viewpoint can be thought provoking and helps build understanding, while also broadening one’s horizons for future discussion. Granting the right to freedom of speech—the ability to speak up and voice what one thinks, right or wrong as it may be—has allowed our democracy to thrive. I love debate, which makes me despise our current political climate. It is not about discussion and it is not about understanding; it is about forcing one’s opinion onto someone else and stomping out anyone or anything that goes against said opinion or principle.

I am a centrist for the most part, but I always tell people I am liberatarian, due to my more liberal takes on social equality. I disagree with many far right conservatives, and I disagree with many far left liberals, but I still believe it’s wrong to throw out their opinion. I am well aware that there are some obscene opinions out there, but many are due to environmental factors and media exposure. If you grow up in a democratic household, in a liberal town, in a blue state, obviously you are more likely to have left leaning views. The inverse is also true, and it is this fact that many people fail to understand. I grew up in Boulder, of course I was raised with more liberal leaning views, whereas someone who grew up in Briston, Tennessee, would most likely turn out with a more conservative perspective. An issue we have as of now is that we have lost the ability to see the other side, we are unable to put ourselves in another’s shoes. It is this lack of understanding that has led to the downfall of discussion. We can see this in political debates, where candidates now interrupt each other like mad. We see it in social media, where “debates” have become simply cursing out the opposing side, throwing out hate speech like we say “good morning” to our friends. It is horrific to watch, and unacceptable as a whole.

Opinions are fostered through experience. According to a report by Gallup, 71% of teens aged 13-17 have political views that are about the same as their parents. Phillip Longman, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, says “[t]oday’s young people are exceptionally bonded to their parents.” The baby boomer generation was known for their rebellion against their parents, but today family values are more prevalent. If someone is told from the moment they were born that government sanctioned financial support is wrong,  they most likely will continue to hold this view. We have stopped understanding each other, and it has been detrimental to discussion in modern American society. 

The main reason discussion dying is a major issue is that discussion garners understanding. Having a discussion and being presented with another viewpoint allows one to gain back the perspective, and allows them to formulate new opinions. We need to have these face to face discussions and we need to talk through our differences in order for us to come to a place of mutual understanding. Even if one still disagrees after a discussion, they can still have a better comprehension of why the other person feels how they do, which would no doubt ease some of the tension we see in current conversations. There is a reason why America is so divided, many times people fail to take into account where the other person is coming from, and a simple exchange of ideas would do wonders for this problem. This utopian-seeming reality isn’t unknown to America. According to a study by Pew, in 1994, there were only 15 percentage points between Democratic-leaning independents and Republican-leaning independents, different from what we see now, 36 points in 2017. Yet, there is still no excuse for the tunneled perspective so many Americans hold today.

If you ever have a disagreement with someone, whether it’s political or not, make sure to hear them out. Spark a discussion. No one likes to be talked down to and no one wants to be told they’re wrong. By formulating an argument you can  engage the possibility of understanding. Talk to each other, spread love not hate, and continue to broaden your horizons.