The opinions expressed here are strictly those of the writer and do not reflect the views of University School of Nashville or the Peabody Press.
Every day, the idea of the moderate progressive or the pragmatic conservative further vanishes. People, ranging from influencers on social media to members of the United States Congress, are working persistently to divide the American people. We have heard multiple times in the past year about ever-increasing political division.
However, just because we acknowledge the problem doesn’t mean we have taken steps to solve it.
Politicians in Congress are not helping the cause. The use of misinformation is higher than ever. The very sources that we once used to gather facts are now being infiltrated by actors who present themselves in favorable ways. We have lost all accountability in politics. Politicians on both sides are lying and financially benefiting from their positions, yet they are not being held accountable because each party worries they are losing an illusory game of political capital. All of this has radicalized Americans to the point where there is no in-between. I am disallowed from being a pro-life climate activist or a socialist who believes in the Second Amendment. The entire purpose of democracy has been defeated in this sense.
According to the website of Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, there are “7 Core Principles of Conservatism.” Some of these principles include fiscal responsibility, free markets, and individual freedom. On the other side of the aisle, the official website of the Democrats lists their core values as equality, a progressive economy, and investment in the future.
But if we take a deeper look at what each party is doing to reach these goals, the answer is essentially nothing. The fact that Jimmy Kimmel was the biggest topic in politics for an entire week speaks to the lack of function. We have deviated far from action actually being taken to assist the American people and shifted to performative politics. All these claims of making substantial progress with these pieces of legislation, like Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act or Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, are fabricated. This is proven by the fact that the American people are still struggling.
Perhaps this can all be summed up by the fact that politicians seem to care more about their public images than about improving the districts they represent. Have Republicans ever done something that the Democrats acknowledged was successful, or vice versa? I watch videos of our politicians interacting with each other and I have to double-check that I am not watching an SNL skit. We need to not only return to a place of formality among politicians, but also to authenticity. Mudslinging is inevitable in politics, but bringing harm to the country is not. These politicians are not representing the people, but representing where the money and publicity are.
As Jack Fruin ‘27 says, “a common negative aspect of politicians in the US today is that many of them are so removed from the common American experience.”
We must wonder how politicians would make decisions if their decisions affected themselves like they do most Americans. Fruin mentions an “immense amount of money politicians receive from corporate and foreign PACs.” The fact that a politician, who is elected for the ideas he has, does not support something until he accepts a bribe is outrageous. This causes the needs of the working class to be ignored so that the desires of the wealthy are met.
They are not elected to exhibit the ideals of external actors, but those of the people who showed up to the ballot box and gave them a jobs.
These behaviors spill over to the American people. When politicians who supposedly represent us act in such ways, they drive us apart. Politicians are manipulating people into hating each other to the point where we are distancing ourselves from anything that is even associated with what we are supposed to disagree with. Politicians, in a disgusting attempt at emotional appeal, implicitly or even explicitly, tell us to view others as the enemy. True patriotism is loving how a diversity of opinions is embedded in our democratic republic.
The burden has now been put on the people to restore peace. Our own passions about the world are robust enough that sometimes it can be difficult to disconnect our relationships and our lives from them. This is not to say that our passions are not of great value, but they can also be unnecessary. Once we can harness the power of the people’s passion altogether, corruption will be defeated and politics will be less about labels and more about progress.
I would like to use an example of something that happened recently that shows the nature of the divide. The assassinations of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, along with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk have sparked an online civil war. Just hours after Kirk’s assassination, Democrats on social media were posting graphics about right wing extremism causing violence, while Republicans were blaming Democrats for creating a rhetoric that justified assasination.
The bottom line is that violence is never the answer. Statistics and claims about which party is more likely to commit political violence are shallow and ignore the fact that the majority of Americans don’t promote violence and therefore shouldn’t be blamed for anything.
Next time a tragic event occurs and you open Instagram to post on your story, try not to use the words “if” or “but.” Blaming groups of people or bringing up past events is not productive immediately after tragedies, assassinations, shootings, and organized attacks. For at least the first 24 hours, only discuss the fact that there is an urgent problem, and not the alleged cause or solution. The debate can wait a day, and by doing so you can find common ground with people all over the political spectrum to better move forward with.
The importance of healthy conversations cannot be emphasized enough. Try to find a friend that you disagree with on a certain controversial topic and talk to them about it. Don’t yell, don’t passive aggressively laugh at what they say, don’t interrupt them. Respect their opinion and the place they are coming from. Within that topic, separate what you are in disagreement on, but also find the places where you agree.
Caleb Freifield ‘28 brought up a critical purpose of these conversations, which is “educating people on the motives of the other party.”
When listening to others, try to process what they are saying and truly consider possible truths in it. Freifeld adds that there are a lot of misconceptions about each side. Once we can understand each other’s perspective, we can be more constructive in our conversations.
An agreement as simple as you both acknowledging the same urgent problem goes a long way. Don’t visualize the other side as evil, but as supporting a different mechanism for a similar end goal. This whole issue of division starts in microcosms like the classroom and Thanksgiving dinner table. If this problem began in small settings, then the solution can begin in the same settings.
To the politicians in Congress, advocating for what you truly believe in will pay you dividends. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, NY-14) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R, GA-14) could not be more polar opposite in what they believe in. Despite the fact that I disagree with what they both have to say, I respect that they think for themselves. They aren’t pawns of wealth, nor do they always say what is always best for their public image. If politicians were more pure, their interactions would foster an environment where action could be taken that could actually benefit the people.
Lastly, I would like to clarify that I do not wish to say that activism or political debate is bad. Peaceful protests and healthy debate can be effective towards unity. All I ask is that we express our views in ways that contribute to progress and take into account the situations of others. The United States is a great country we are all a part of, and we all just want what is best for our country.
