For a long time, I would just keep quiet whenever politics were being discussed around me. A nod was the most I would do. Afraid of losing friendships or being labeled as something I’m not, I chose silence. Being a conservative college student in a time when most of the media, your friends, professors, classmates, and even co-workers are openly against many of the values you believe in is not very encouraging.
Eventually, I realized that staying silent didn’t make things better—it just made me feel like I was hiding who I really am. It’s okay to think differently from your neighbors. In fact, diversity is what makes the United States the United States, and expressing our beliefs is part of what it means to live in a free country. We, as Americans, cannot condemn the same polarization we subconsciously partake in when we’re negative toward anyone who has differing views. It’s a privilege to be able to speak freely, even when we disagree.
Since I stopped hiding, I’ve noticed that honest conversations actually open more doors than they close. Some people still disagree with me, and that’s fine, but others have surprised me with how willing they are to listen. I’ve learned that sharing your beliefs doesn’t have to mean pushing them on others—it just means being real about who you are.
I’ll end with this: Be kind. Fight for the truth. Educate yourself with different perspectives. And remember what it means to be an American. My hope for the future of this country is that we learn to listen again—not to argue, but to understand. That’s where real unity starts.