For a species that claims to despise the whole institution of politics so much, we sure do talk about it a lot. Especially now, in this politically charged world, it seems an incredible impossibility to even go a single day without the labels of conservative or liberal. According to the Washington Post,
"More than eight in 10 say they trust the government to do the right thing only some of the time, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. The Pew Research Center recently found that 55 percent of Americans think the current Congress has accomplished less than recent Congresses — a record high. A survey taken at the end of last year by the Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago, formerly known as the National Opinion Research Center, found that six in 10 respondents felt generally pessimistic about how their political leaders are chosen. Gallup reported last week that only a fifth say members of Congress deserve to be reelected, which if it holds through November would be lowest percentage in a midterm year since Gallup started asking the question in 1992" (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/why-so-man...),
so why can't we seem to get away from it?
Aristotle said that man is a political animal, that we are our most human, we are only human when existing in a political state. Perhaps, then, this is humanity at our most natural, and the division and intolerance that plagues this nation is inherent in us. But most days incessant talk of politics just leaves me tired and angry. And whether or not you support the current administration the increased level hate towards those considered different in whatever context is troubling and scary, to say the least.
We hate politics and use that hate to justify intolerance and even violence. Labels like 'conservative' and 'liberal' are byproducts of a human yearning to belong but can also be used to generalize and stereotype large groups of people. I am not great at remembering that when it comes to my own life and I will be the first to tell someone that they cannot expect tolerance when they preach the opposite. Politics is, by nature, divisive. Which, I hope, is why people can't stand its prevalence in today's society.
I don't have an answer on how to combat this. I do not have the disposition to say turn the other cheek or that love trumps hate. I prefer justice over mercy and I am, by choice, vastly undereducated on how the 'other side' feels and thinks. Honestly, ideally it would be great if everyone could just agree with me but that type of thinking is close-minded and unrealistic.
The only way for anything to get better is to have the conversation, and then another one, and if you're anything like me, quite a few of these conversations will look more like arguments but that's ok. We are somehow political animals that ended up hating politics. So fight for what you believe in and know some people are not going to like you for what you say. So say it well, be as tolerant and as patient as possible, that way maybe someone will actually hear you and maybe, just maybe we can change our nature.
