The most dangerous thing to American politics

By Anthony Sims Staff Writer Spite is a powerful motivator, and in today’s political landscape, it carries a serious danger to both greater democracy and one’s mental health. When Donald Trump won the election in November, many on social media declared, “If you voted for him, I want you off my social media.” Others quoted James Baldwin, “We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression.” I want to stress that I agree with Baldwin - one shouldn't tolerate oppression on any grounds - however, I am personally concerned with the rhetoric on social media, as exclusionary behavior once pushed me to extreme political takes. From 2016 to 2020, I was an avid Trump supporter. Because of my own spite, I found it hard to listen to opposing political beliefs. However, with time and some patient friends - having a wide variety of opinions - I found my political views evolved to become a far cry from what they used to be. It is my hope that by sharing how my beliefs have evolved, I can encourage you, dear reader, to consider your behavior with those you politically disagree with, regardless of your political affiliation. Before the 2016 election, I knew nearly nothing about politics. I was more concerned with affording the newest Call of Duty, passing my high school chemistry class, and regularly overthinking how to ask out my crush at the time. During election season that year, conversations around it seemed inescapable. One of the only things that I truly knew at the time was that I loved my grandfather, who was dying of brain cancer. I both wanted to understand politics better, and to get closer with him while I could. I thought I could achieve both by joining him while he watched Fox News, which took up a majority of his time. As I “learned” more, I tried to debate with family members on Facebook. Instead of constructive and nuanced feedback I faced pushback, belittlement, and often, holier-than-thou demeanors. Relatives would fist-bump after making single points against me at the dinner table - I specifically remember one quip, “You must be this tall to participate in the discussion, sweetheart.” More upsetting still, some relatives were very critical of my grandpa. I’ll never forget my uncle - his own son - calling him a “racist S.O.B.” to my face not long after he died. I started to resent them and their opinions, and took that with me to school debates. One day, I asked to debate with a friend named “Kyle.” The other person at the table, “Peter,” encouraged me to drop it, but I didn't want to hear it, I just wanted the spar. Kyle argued better, but was also getting increasingly frustrated. The discussion ended abruptly when he slammed his fist down on my hand, got up, and walked away. The blow wasn't painful, but the action solidified my animosity. Because of this action, I believed not only were the left wrong, but also ignorant, and that convincing them was pointless. I stopped speaking with Kyle and became reluctant to connect with relatives and classmates of different opinions and backgrounds. Thinking about it now, Kyle and I were really similar. We both wanted to be heard and understood, and were upset that the other was not listening. The ironic part is that because of his actions, I stopped listening altogether. I stayed in this headspace for a few years, only voicing my opinion with those I knew would agree. I operated under the pretense that if I was open with my political beliefs, I would be belittled or worse than before. Thankfully, over time I found myself making new friends, all with a wide variety of opinions. It was these connections, more than anything else, that allowed my prejudices to fade. I got to a point with my friends that I felt comfortable speaking politically. While they vehemently disagreed with a lot of my takes, I still felt accepted. Because of that, I took their opinions more seriously, and while I couldn’t relate to certain issues they faced, my empathy was growing to where I would make an effort to consider their points. My political beliefs shifted left over several years, all from patience and compassion that was shown to me. Today, a lot of behavior on the internet reminds me of my emotional state back then: angry and unheard. While I can’t speak accurately to everyone on social media, I can personally attest that I was only willing to change when I felt heard. While it’s true that one should not tolerate oppression, still, one should treat others with respect, especially if not done so for you. Those are the moments where one’s character truly shines, and only light can drive out darkness.