The word that I would use to describe the last three weeks is chaotic, not only for people living in the U.S., but really for people living all around the world. Cutting federal funding for organizations that provide family planning counseling and abortions, renewing construction of the North Dakota Access and Keystone Pipelines, freezing both federal workforce hiring and as of yet unapproved federal regulations, prohibiting entrance to the country by millions of people of varying nationalities, and moving forward the build a war between the U.S. and Mexico are just some of the things that President Trump has done since he came into office. Many Americans, and people from other countries, support these moves and are excited to see our government taking steps that they see value in, whereas many others feel frightened, disgusted, and attacked. Still, there are others who don’t know how to feel, either because they are in shock at how their expectations for President Trump are not aligning with the reality, or because they haven’t had time to process everything that is happening so quickly. On Tulane’s campus, on Facebook, and out in New Orleans I have witnessed people with opposing views yelling at and treating each other with animosity. This hatred and mistreatment of fellow human beings is what scares me the most.
Regardless of my own political views, it frightens me to see the people around me dehumanizing one another. “Trump supporter,” while seemingly just a fact, is hurled as an insult, both in jest and in candor, and “liberal,” “bitch,” and all sorts of racial slurs have been used in combination with each other to attack an opponent. I’m not the first, and I certainly won’t be the last, to acknowledge this, but we as Americans are living in a country, maybe even a world, of hatred and animosity. This is problematic because it goes against one of the first lessons that you learn in kindergarten: treat others as you wish to be treated. If you want somebody to share their Lincoln Logs with you, then you need to share your 64-pack of Crayola crayons with them. If you want to share your opinions without fear of punishment, judgment, or danger to yourself and loved ones, then you need to make sure that you are respecting the opinions of others when they speak out. It seems as though many people from all political backgrounds have forgotten this lesson and are concerned only with their own voices, their own problems, and their own rights. It is imperative that we actually listen to and try to understand ideas and opinions that differ from our own, as difficult as that may be. It is important that those in favor of President Trump’s Muslim ban consider why so many people feel threatened and upset with this order. It is equally as important for people who did not vote for Trump to remember that those voters may not agree with every single word that comes out of the president’s mouth. Both ends of the spectrum, and everybody in between, will undoubtedly struggle with this task.
A study published in Scientific Reports in 2016 – Neural correlates of maintaining one’s political beliefs in the face of counterevidence – found that when one’s political ideology is questioned or contested, the brain shows activity in the areas which are related to processing emotions, specifically perceptions of threat, uncertainty, and anxiety. In addition to this neurological occurrence, the increased influence and use of social media allow people to seek out only those who are of their same political views. Certain accounts can be blocked or unfriended/unfollowed and most social media outlets have a way to show you posts that are most relevant to you based on past activity on the account; no one is forced to see any posts that they don’t want to see. Similarly, many colleges are known for having, in general, a certain political ideology and consequently attract students who share that same point of view. Tulane’s campus is, without a doubt, a very liberal one, but there are students, faculty, and staff members from all over the country and the world who have different values.
With such a range of beliefs and customs, it is important that the members of the Tulane community take advantage of this diversity and engage in conversation with one another. The goal of these conversations should not be to persuade the other party to your side, but rather to try to see their perspective and attempt to learn why they make the decisions that they do. This applies beyond Tulane, as well. By communicating with one another, not only do we ensure clarity on important matters, but we also connect as human beings. As cliché as that sounds, it is a necessary, if difficult, task that we must do. It is our duty to respect each other and do our best to treat each other with kindness, rather than hatred.