Varied expressions filled the halls of Coppell High School the morning of Nov. 6, ranging from emotional and disappointed to joyous and celebratory after students woke up to the results of the Presidential Election.
Friends stuck together like glue, staying close to those with similar views. It was clear you needed to read the people you talked to before sharing your opinions.
On social media, it felt like almost everyone shared their opinion on the results. Users’ stories shared news outlets’ posts displaying the results. Instagram notes, located above the direct messages, varied from “my heart is broken” and “I am scared for the future now” to “we did it” and “four more years.”
What once was a nation, unified and cooperative, now has a population that views the opposing party as the enemy. If you consider yourself a member of one ideology, then the idea that you agree with and everything that party stands for is automatically believed to be true. Now people see you as who and what you support and it feels like you must accept that label to now carry with you.
The line between the two parties, Democratic and Republican, has become more defined in recent years. The division has translated into our judgment of each other. Disliking the opposing party is not new in politics, however, recently the sentiments have heightened and played a more significant role in American politics. According to Pew Research Center, the share of both parties who hold a highly negative view of the other has more than doubled since 1994.
The judgement of others based on their political association has reached a point where political polarization is an apparent issue. I frequently see this at a new level on social media. People have not spoken to their family members in months or years because they disagree on political stances. If people are not able to even stay in contact with their family because they hold different views, then why should they feel the need to be professional in a workspace and learn to cooperate?
We need to stop letting people’s political stance become a factor in how we treat them as a person. People are more than their opinions and they are still deserving of our respect. As long as they are not being hateful to other groups, people should be allowed to peacefully support who and what they would like to.
It is time to stop letting the division continue in order to create a brighter future for the United States where different parties benefit rather than solely the one in power. We control the future of the country. If we are serious about wanting a better, more promising future, then the first step we need to take is standing together and taking a look at our shared views rather than our differences.
Follow Ainsley (@ainsleydwyer) and @CHSCampusNews on X.
