Politically diverse home expands political empathy, perspective

Hannah Conn

Web Managing Editor

and recent Supreme Court rulings have caused terse conversations and stale moods. However, considering all I have gained from my family’s situation, I am grateful for the discourse.

My family is diverse in many ways: our hair colors, our movie requests on movie nights, our pizza topping preferences, but most of all, we find ourselves in a divided house regarding our political opinions. When there are elections in the nation, active Supreme Court cases or social issues in the media, the political diversity of my family is made clear.

Sometimes, the mix of opinions can cause clashes between us. The 2016 and 2020 presidential debates, elections

Political conversations with my family have opened my eyes to be equally understanding and critical of all political views in America. I consider both sides, perhaps even a third, before I declare my perspective on any matter. I consult my parents and learn about their experiences on the topic to get real-world stories. Because of my family, my political perspective has grown naturally with influence and consideration from both sides of the aisle.

In such a divided time, I have especially appreciated my divided family because it has provided me with an incredible perspective on the world around me. More than just bolstering my political opinion, being exposed to various opinions has enabled me to become open-minded and understanding. I have learned not to jump to conclusions about the people around me despite the labels placed on them by society.

Not all conserva- tives are evil and not all liberals are unhinged socialists - though I know that can be a hard pill to swallow for some. While the division in the country is not surprising, it can be very disheartening and painful for our society. It is hard to come together when each party is absorbed in defending their beliefs by attacking others’.

Many people enter political conversations, believing that the other is there to fight them on a topic, instead of coming to the table with an open mind and ready to converse peacefully. One of my favorite pastimes is to sit down with people, learn about their lives and how specific circumstances have impacted the growth of their political views. With just a simple conversation, I can find myself immensely more able-minded politically, as I consider opposing viewpoints when considering my own. This process is something I recommend everyone has these kinds of conversations. Regarding the political divide in our society, if we tried to understand each other and bridged the gap with humanitarian empathy rather than just spitting criticism at the opposing position, we could progress easily into the future as a connected society.