Is anything they say true?
DISPATCHES FROM THE PARTY OF DIVERSITY AND TOLERANCE: The Democrats Have a Hate Problem.
Nearly a quarter of college students wouldn’t be friends with someone who voted for the other presidential candidate — with Democrats far more likely to dismiss people than Republicans — according to new Generation Lab/Axios polling.
Why it matters: Partisan divides — as each side inhabits parallel political, cultural and media universes —make a future of discord and distrust in the U.S. all the more likely.
By the numbers: 5% of Republicans said they wouldn’t be friends with someone from the opposite party, compared to 37% of Democrats.
- 71% of Democrats wouldn’t go on a date with someone with opposing views, versus 31% of Republicans.
- 30% of Democrats — and 7% of Republicans — wouldn’t work for someone who voted differently from them.
Bad things happen when you make politics your substitute religion.
I shared this with my class today. We were going over Washington's Farewell Address and his advice on not having political parties because it could lead to despotism. The students then wrote about whether that advice is good for today's America. Everyone basically said yes because students can see the hostility between the two parties. After I saw their answers, I showed them the poll. I said that the friends and work and the business questions should be zero because instead of looking at the differences between people, we should be looking at the similarities. I mentioned the friendships between Scalia and RBG and the marriage between Carville and Matlin. I also mentioned that I am friends with both sides but we talk about things that we have in common like sports, movies, and TV shows. The last thing I mentioned was that if you only hang out with people that are as likeminded politically as you and you don't even bother to get to know the other side, unfortunately, you will start to see the other side as evil which would bring the country into even further chaos.
ReplyDeleteOne kid did ask "What if the person is racist?" My response was "that is a different thing but politics has nothing to do with whether or not someone is a racist. You have to truly get to know the people by talking with them instead of just assuming they are racist just because of who they voted for."
I can verify the observation. I've see the same language in this internet group, that formed when we were kicked off of where we were regular commenters on an advice column. Yes, as friends do, we got off topic a bit, and that was the major factor in the threatened ban.
ReplyDeleteThe language that I have read about voters for Mr. Trump, those concerned about vaccine safety/mandates is quite harsh and the way they talk about cutting off family and friends is scary.
I keep my head down, and don't reveal myself completely. AND get a grin about them unknowingly being acquaintances with a Trump voter who is VERY concerned about vaccine safety and the mandates.