With politics so heated these days, it is hard to have conversations about current world topics without starting a fight. These conversations become even harder when you are trying to talk with a person you love and whom you want to maintain a relationship with.
This is an everyday reality for myself and my boyfriend as well as a number of my close friends and family. Social media is a war zone of negative and slanderous comments about each side of the political equation. I am a registered Democrat. My boyfriend, on the other hand, is Catholic and conservative. That doesn’t mean that we can’t get along or that it won’t work. We make it work everyday despite our differences.
In fact, I have learned a lot from him on where he is coming from and the reasons behind opinions I didn’t at first understand. I grew up surrounded by people with similar or the same mindsets and ideals to myself in the little town in Massachusetts that I am from. Since middle school, I have found myself becoming more politically inclined. Last year, I attended a woman’s rights march. At 18, I was able to vote. I was so excited to finally make my voice heard.
I believed that I knew right from wrong, but in reality I still had a lot of life experience to gain. I met my boyfriend first semester of freshman year, and at first discussing anything political made me uneasy. While I am passionate about my beliefs, I am also extremely non-confrontational. Yet, the more time that I spent with him talking over coffee and on dates the more I realized how not every issue is as cut and dry as I thought it was. His stances on abortion, guns, and other issues weren’t based on hatred or any of the other preconceived notions I had had. Some of his opinions had roots in faith, while many were based off personal experience that I hadn’t had. I hadn’t grown up with a family that went to church every Sunday or a family that hunted. I also had a chance to share my opinions on complex issues, and while most of my opinions have not changed I think I understand more how sad the political division in this country is.
Too often, our anger causes divisions in our country that turn us against each other. We wage wars against each other instead of working together to create real solutions. It’s always the GOP or the Liberals’ fault. The only way to build equality, protect liberties, and build our country is to have these discussions.
I am often scared that political opinions I voice could be taken wrong. That is the last thing I want, because at the end of the day I find differences in opinions fascinating and educating. Learning from someone who has a different political background and different life experience will only enrich my knowledge. Despite our differences, we all want the best for America because this is the place we call home.