I’d call myself a very pensive, thoughtful person who doesn’t easily find myself entangled with drama and controversy. My experiences in college over the last two years especially have mellowed me out a fair bit and have encouraged me more than ever before to take time to fully contend with and think through personal, social, or societal drama. The thoughts I put down here are certainly not new thoughts. It is not a new idea to think that we, especially in America, are currently living through a period of increased strife, political disagreement, and cultural combativeness. I prefer not to write in generalities, and so although everyone has their own issues that are important to them, I would particularly highlight the current debate over free-speech and censorship, education, guns and the Second Amendment, LGBTQ issues, and especially, Trans rights as of particular importance to the modern EMU community and my generation as a whole. The other writers of this paper’s opinion page have remarked already on many of these issues and in fact, similar articles to this one have been published probably dozens of times in the history of this paper. And while some may debate whether some of these issues should even be up for debate, you cannot deny these are the divisive topics of this day and age.
This is just to say that there is a danger in rushing into talking about these (or any) topics without forethought or consideration of how other people are approaching the issue, whether you would agree with them or not. More and more I am seeing an eagerness to discredit opposing sides for little reason other than partisanship or disagreements of approach. In extreme cases, this can be seen in the recent expulsion of two black Tennessee house lawmakers by the Republican majority and a similar, ongoing situation happening in the Montana State House with a transgender lawmaker. The issues up for debate, gun control and trans rights respectively, are very well hot button, incendiary issues of the day that are deeply important to the three young representatives and their constituents. What does it say about the current cultural climate when our politicians themselves feel the need to eliminate voices from the room, rather than tackle the issues people care so strongly about?
On the other side, at the same time, I’m almost as worried about how some of my peers on the left are unwilling to hear out their opposing sides, be it in classes or in casual conversation. These folks can’t be held to the same extreme standards as those directly involved in government of course, but there can be a similar unwillingness to engage in discussion. I am yet to personally see a solid example of peer-to-peer or peer-to-institution “college censorship” here at EMU, which is a great achievement. As EMU’s philosophy has evolved and as its politics have shifted leftward, we can run the risk of becoming too “one minded”, especially when it comes to issues personally important to us. What I am advocating for is a continued willingness to engage with “the other” when it’s required.
To be clear I am not excusing bigotry, or people who are divisive just to be divisive. My views on “the strident” and those more politically engaged than myself have become much more forgiving and accepting as my own opinions develop and grow. Sometimes fierce arguments are needed; I’m not shouting “Can’t you all just get along!” from the sidelines while refusing to personally engage. But I see a need for a rebalancing between rhetoric and logic, and feelings. As EMU’s philosophy has evolved and as its politics have shifted, we can run the risk of becoming too “one minded”, especially when it comes to issues personally important to us. Moderate positions should be acknowledged and welcomed as grounds for agreement.
None of these ideas are new and I hope some semblance of earnestness can come through the hedging and hesitance. College, especially a college like this one with an emphasis on peacebuilding and reconciliation, needs to continue to be a place where it feels safe to talk and express your views, significant, mundane, moderate, controversial, and everything in between. I hope to be such a person and exist in such a community where that is the case.
