As I am writing this piece, it is November 5th. The end of this circus of an election is less than 3 days away. While many are anticipating November 8th, I am still weighing out my options. A few months ago, I was certain that I had a solid, unshakable decision. I swore that no matter what happened leading up to Election Day, I would still vote for this candidate.
At the moment, I am now leaning towards the other candidate.
Am I shifting because of the recent bombshells surrounding my initial choice? Partially yes. Although, I planned on staying with that candidate regardless of the mess surrounding them. The real motivation for my shift, however, stems from the various conversations I've had with friends on the opposing side.
During the Summer, in particular, I spent a significant portion of my time engaging my friends from the opposing party about why they feel the way they do about their political stances. Needless to say, I was surprised by their responses. For as long as I've been politically aware, I've always heard mere characterizations about people who vote the opposing party. For me, that opposing party was the Republican party and their supporters. Growing up in a household that fed into those characterizations did not help much in terms of political growth. As a result, those characterizations became my perception of them.
Engaging in actual discussion and hearing out the genuine concerns and frustrations made me realize how wrong it was of me to place unfair labels on someone. I feel like I should already know that unfair labels are hurtful. However, this concept has appeared to be absent during this election cycle. Additionally, the discussions (and research to back it up) made me realize how much I actually side with the opposing views.
What am I trying to say here? The answer is simple: LISTEN!
It's frustrating and downright rude to assume that someone is a racist, sexist, xenophobe just because they happen to vote (and consequently think) differently than you. It's unfair, as it eliminates any possibility for meaningful discussion. It's unfair because it more or less says that you would rather believe and stick with a baseless assumption instead of getting to know someone and their POV. I am not even guaranteeing that you will contemplate shifting your views.
Unless someone has proven to you to be a racist, sexist, some-kind-of-phobia, please keep quiet for a moment. If you want to be heard and understood, try demonstrating those traits to others first.
