How to Stay Sane Living In A Small Town That Doesn’t Share Your Political Views

I grew up in a highly conservative town on the coast of Washington state. In high school I never felt comfortable wearing short dresses or a lot of make-up for fear of standing out at the grocery store or receiving odd stares at the gas station. I never knew much about politics until high school, when the 2016 presidential election caused a great divide in the U.S. Throughout Trump’s next four years in office, he instigated violence and divided the nation like never before. Many of my friends’ parents let everyone know that they were Trump supporters and deemed my friends and I “a generation of snowflakes” simply for having empathy and treating people with kindness. My immediate family and I are liberal and loathe Donald Trump, so it hasn’t always been easy to live in a community where we are the political minority, especially as tension between the two parties continues to rise. Leading up to the 2016 election, there were people on every downtown street corner waving Trump signs and haggling drivers. For the 2020 election it was no different. It’s difficult to watch when many of the people supporting the other side are your friends from elementary, your friends’ parents, or even your relatives.

(1) if you have to temporarily be around your family who doesn’t share your views, don’t bring up politics unless they do first…then feel free to respectfully share your thoughts (no one will feel inclined to listen if you raise your voice!)

As the results of the 2020 election were finalized, it certainly wasn’t easy to watch the local news. Citizens of my community had largely voted Loren Culp for governor of Washington state and Trump for president. People were outraged that the state as a whole had re-elected Jay Inslee and voted for Joe Biden. Across social media and local news stations there were outraged conservatives who said things like “of course Inslee was re-elected, King County always decides everything and turns the state blue” and “our vote doesn’t matter because Culp and Trump didn’t stand a chance against the dems” and “those damn liberals ruin everything.” In response to those voter frustrations, all I have to say is (1) obviously King County plays an important role in Washington state’s election, that’s where the majority of Washington citizens live and (2) for most groups of people Seattle voters play a key role in the elections because most of them are more open-minded than the people I grew up with. It blows my mind that people can support someone who has terrorized countless groups of people. I was in genuine disbelief for a very long time.

(2) stay informed, but don’t over-consume content from local news stations

Yes, I am someone who believes you can and should have friends with different opinions than you, even when it comes to politics. However, I draw the line with people who do not support fundamental human rights. While I don’t hold republican beliefs, I don’t necessarily think those who do are the enemy (excluding those who support Trump after everything he’s done). Those are not people I want to associate with, which has definitely been a challenge for me in my community.

(3) vent/share how you are feeling with someone you trust and check up on your friends

I recognize my privilege and that although this election would have greatly affected me with either possible outcome, it affected other groups of people much more severely. I voted not only for myself but for those who aren’t able to vote and who would be greatly affected by the outcome of the election. It was challenging for me to be surrounded by people who did not share these beliefs.

• election
• politics