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By William Dao, Fountain Valley High School junior
The Friday before winter break, our English teacher asked us about something that gave us hope during this unprecedented time. For time’s sake, it would be just some quick words before we had to leave the meeting. It took me a while to think of something to say. But eventually, I simply stated that I was thankful for my health; my dad had been tested negative for [COVID-19] five times. However, many of my peers asserted that they became hopeful because of the results of the election (implying that they were happy that Biden had won the presidency). And that set off alarms in my head because such assertions, when done inappropriately, could be detrimental to our learning environment.
It’s not because the statement was “political and controversial.” I’m actually for open discussion and debate over political topics when it’s done correctly. It’s also not because of my different political views; for transparency’s sake, I did support Trump this past election year. However, I did not always feel that way (my entire family supported Clinton in 2016). But my views are completely irrelevant in this scenario, because if someone had said they had lost hope because Trump lost the election, it would be just as harmful to our learning environment.
The fact of the matter is that stating one’s political views is potentially alienating to those who disagree if it is done in an environment when others can’t respond. Why? Because by making one’s political views obvious to the class (without also adding that it’s simply one’s opinion), the entire classroom could be divided. For instance (and humor), one should imagine if I had friends over for dinner and then randomly spouted out my opinions on illegal immigration at an inappropiate time. My friends would rightfully be angry (or at the very least, uncomfortable). Furthermore, without a chance for response, there is no chance for discussion and embracing of differences in opinion, which is something that is terribly needed in today’s society.
It’s probably a good thing that more and more people from a younger demographic are becoming knowledgeable about political topics. After all, some of us are going to be the next members of our national legislature. However, such topics should generally only be talked about in appropriate environments that accommodate for response and disagreement. And even if the environment is not appropriate, it is still possible to state one’s opinion if one makes it clear that it is simply his or her opinion (and not a fact). Moreover, opinions are merely viewpoints that, for the most part, are not at all indicative of our character. However, when one makes a statement that a specific candidate winning the presidency provides one with hope (without adding that such a statement is heavily opinionated), it inadvertently implies that everyone who did not support that particular candidate is evil, or morally wrong in some fashion.
In any case, I’m sure the fellow students that made that statement did not mean any harm. They were probably just saying what came first to their head. But I hope our entire society, not just our school, can make an effort towards uniting, and not alienating, our people.
