Too Many People Are Part of the Problem in 2020 Political Discourse. Not Me — Here’s Why.

Yesterday I was on Twitter and I saw a jarring image. Michael Bloomberg shared a picture of his campaign office in Flint, Michigan. “Eat the Rich” had been spray painted over the door. I couldn’t believe it. When did destruction of property become okay? When did that become proper political discourse? 

It feels like everyone is part of the problem in 2020 politics — incivility, ignorance, and judgement — but nobody sees it except for me. I am not part of the problem for obvious reasons, and I just wish others could figure this out.

According to a recent study I heard somewhere but can’t totally remember where, a whopping 80% of Americans don’t base their political opinions on facts and opt instead to listen to biased talking heads. When I read this from this person I follow on Twitter, I was shocked. 

For myself, I know I base everything I believe in facts, because I know the full story and my parents recap the New York Times for me every day. Others around me are not as lucky.

My peers often try to justify racist and discriminatory ideologies within the Republican party. “Some people are just Republicans because of economic policy,” they will say. Why do we not call attention to the links between Republican economic and social policy? Republicans, according to everything I have studied, suck. They’re all awful on a personal level, and I know that because I know some Republicans.

At the same time, why do some progressives not allow people room for growth and development? So many liberals, who know far fewer republicans than I do, feel like they can make generalizations about Republicans. Hey ladies, hate to break it to you, but you cannot. Unless you know Republicans like I know Republicans, you should not make generalizations. These types of liberals, and you know the type I’m talking about, suck. 

Thank god I’m not a Republican or one of those types of liberals, and instead am the perfect combination of all ideologies. 

I’ll leave you all with this. You don’t know everyone’s story, unlike me who does know everyone’s story. Or, at least the general gist of their stories — definitely enough of everyone’s stories to draw conclusions about the people around me. I want you all to do a bit better this year. Not for me, but for yourselves.