American factionalism needs to chill, but how?
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I made a mistake.
Just a couple of days before the Parkland, Florida shooting on February 14, 2018, I told my friend, “I’m not a 21 century liberal who gets offended at everything.” Of course, I didn’t mean for it to be taken so seriously, and she became, well, quite offended.
Of course, I didn’t mean for it to be taken so seriously, and [my friend] became, well, quite offended.
— Guest Writer Margaret Xiao
I tried defending myself, saying things along the lines of: “No, I’m not a conservative either; I meant what I said as a joke.” Despite my attempts to redeem myself, she deadpanned, gave me the finger and said, “Stop talking before you can’t get yourself out of this.”
And, then and there, I was immediately classified as a homophobic, racist Southerner who lives by strict conservative beliefs.
I thought it was funny because that’s pretty much the opposite of what I am. I don’t classify myself as a homophobic (it’s a matter of personal choice), a racist (heck, I’m part of a minority) nor a Southerner (despite living in the South for a decade).
In around the same time frame, I realized that some friends of mine do not approve of the LGBTQ+ community. We were discussing the topic of gay people in a group chat, and I noticed that a huge chunk of people don’t believe in gayness. No, it’s not the fact that they don’t deserve rights or need to die, but it’s more of the fact that they’re uncomfortable and do not approve of this lifestyle. Though they claim that “it’s not nature,” a few people still respect everyone who is LGBTQ+.
And just a day after the Florida shooting, the topic of illegal immigration popped up in the same group chat, causing a huge split between everyone in it. A lot of words were taken on a personal level, which angered people because no one can see from another’s perspective. Some ended up leaving the chat, and there have been tensions since.
The news and events that occurred the past few days allowed me to come to my senses and realize that we live in a truly divided world. No, I don’t lean right, but nor do I lean left. What I can say is that most people refuse to listen and think on a broader perspective, adamant about their beliefs and opinions.
I needed to do more research and see things for myself, rather than rely on the biased opinions of my peers.
— Guest Writer Margaret Xiao
And being a bystander in all this drama, I was too scared to express my opinions.
I’m really bad at defending my opinions and standing up for myself. I was told multiple times in the past, “Margaret, don’t start an argument you can’t win” and “Margaret, don’t argue when you don’t even know how to defend yourself.” I thought that it was a good point, for I have a history of making things worse than it is for myself. But really, after saying those words myself, I realized that those who say these words don’t want to listen and want to suppress your thoughts.
In a way, these arguments were a wake-up call. I needed to do more research and see things for myself, rather than rely on the biased opinions of my peers. Being someone who doesn’t know much about our government nor politics, I had to do something to be informed. I reached out to friends, researched a bit on history and read more news articles involving politics.
Complicating what I learned in history class along with other things, I learned this: the first political parties in the United States formed when Alexander Hamilton called himself a Federalist in 1787, then the formation of anti-Federalists with Thomas Jefferson. In 1796, in George Washington’s Farewell Address, he addressed his fear of factionalism and the split of political parties. His fear came true with the election of 1800. Victorious in the eyes of the Democratic-Republicans, America experienced the first transition of power between political parties.
Though much has changed since then, this factionalism is still happening in 2018, 222 years after Washington’s Farewell Address.
This is evident in FiveThirtyEight‘s statistics for Trump’s approval ratings. Currently, 53.1 percent of people surveyed in polls disapprove of his presidency while 41.4 percent approve. There are many controversial actions that Trump has done such as the advocating for the ending of DACA or even his tweets on Twitter. He’s made a quite an impression in only his first year in office.
The country is divided.
You have your Democrats, and you have your Republicans. Both want to make change. Both want to make the country prosper. Both want to make reforms. Yet, both cannot compromise. And on top of that, you have the different types of Democrats as well as Republicans. According to Domenico Montanaro, America might even expect an eight-party split.
Our view on the world is heavily dependent on how we were raised, the environment we grew up in and the lessons we learned in life.
— Guest Writer Margaret Xiao
We all have our own opinions on gun control, immigration, abortion and so much more. But is there really a ‘right’ answer? No.
Our view on the world is heavily dependent on how we were raised, the environment we grew up in and the lessons we learned in life. Our judgement is based on our own morals and ethics, and all that is subjective. What is good could be someone’s bad, and vice versa.
Factionalism should exist.
It is beneficial for those to consider differing viewpoints and to broaden perspectives. However, it can’t be too extreme.
People think from all ends of the spectrum, and as hard as it is to accept it, we all have to at least understand why those opinions are made. There are many problems with our world, our nation and our communities, but can we really fix it? Political issues are extremely controversial, and perhaps, we will never agree with another’s opinion. With political matters, it’s so easy to fall into something we aren’t aware of and be stereotyped as someone who we’re not. And it’s just as easy to stereotype someone as a person who he or she is not.
You might disagree with what others believe, and you have every right to have your own opinions. Heck, you even have to right to hate it, diss it and lash out against it. But the amount of hate you give is also the amount of hate you get back. By starting something, someone is bound to hold a grudge against you.
A huge part of our problem is the internet. Through all the forms of social media, there is a lack of key factors in communication (i.e. tone, facial expressions, etc.). Little comments are often misinterpreted, and people who are simply trying to point something out are accused of starting an argument. There is logic and reasoning on both ends, but we are blind when we’re standing up for our pride and public image on social media.
Factionalism is tearing America apart.
You have severed friendships, family arguments and unspoken grudges. As George Washington feared all those years ago, we live in a truly divided world. As long as our morals differ, we can never fully agree with the opposite side.
Americans as a whole needs to address this problem, but the question is, how?
Margaret Xiao is a sophomore at Starr’s Mill High School. This story, originally published on The Oydssey Online, edited and reprinted with permission.
