Politics aren’t everything
Stop judging people based solely on their political opinions and values
A couple of weeks ago, I was hanging out with a couple of my friends after a Friday night football game. We were standing around talking, when all of the sudden a car drove by and yelled my name, along with a few tactless words relating to my political beliefs.
This incident isn’t isolated; a few instances have occurred where people have developed opinions of me based on my political beliefs, and have vocalized these opinions through social media or in person. This phenomenon isn’t exclusive to me; instances such as these occur not only throughout our school but also in our society as a whole, applying too much pressure to political opinions. Ultimately, as a society, we need to stop judging people solely on their political values, and instead should see each other as nothing less than people.
Now, I’m not saying political values aren’t important. My political beliefs play a huge part in how I define myself and have a large impact on my life and interests. However, they are not the end-all, be-all of who I am, and they should not greatly affect one’s attitude towards my character.
The way one perceives another’s political views may not be completely accurate. Just because one associates themselves with a certain party doesn’t automatically mean they agree with that particular party on all issues. It is completely OK to side with different parties on different issues, and it should not be assumed that one should directly label themselves as a strict liberal or conservative.
In order to fix this, stop assuming and start having discussions. If you don’t agree with someone else’s political views, there’s nothing wrong with that. But this systematic routine of judgement has become problematic. Instead of immediately disliking someone for their political views, have a discussion with them about politics. Having a political discussion with someone with opposing views can be extremely beneficial, and can teach you vital information about not only the opposing side, but also about your personal beliefs.
I never thought I would say this, but politics aren’t everything. While politics are an extremely important thing in today’s age, especially in the era of an election, a person’s political opinion does not and should not define everything about them.