By Mesha Mittanasala | Photographer
When I saw that Leigh-Allyn Baker was coming to campus — I was ecstatic. Growing up, “Good Luck Charlie” was my favorite show. However, when I saw she was affiliated with Turning Point USA, I wasn’t excited anymore. After watching many of their videos, I don’t really agree with the ideologies and the agendas that Turning Point USA promotes. Wanting to see a part of my childhood, I went to the event anyway. I was uncomfortable at first seeing all the students who didn’t agree with my political views in attendance. But as she spoke, I realized we weren’t that morally different.
With the election coming up, we ought to attend in-person political events, especially events hosted by political parties we are not affiliated with. By watching and listening to people talk about their political standings, we add a sense of humanity to our differences. In person, we can hear someone talk about their political ideologies through their experiences and see the person apart from the stance. From attending, we may realize that we are not that different from the other side.
The Washington Post found recent survey data revealed “more than half of Republicans and Democrats view the other party as “a threat,” and nearly as many agree with the description of the other party as “evil.” It also found that polarization is based on our feelings for each other, not necessarily on our policy preferences. This can be tied to our time spent on social media. Ro’ee Levy from the American Economic Review found more than 17,000 Americans discovered Facebook’s algorithm for sorting content can restrict users’ access to news sources that present opposing views. When you see content that is catered to you, you form an emotional attachment to your political ideologies and the candidates who agree with you.
By attending political events, we see the individual as a human who has a story rather than just a figure on our screens. When I watched Turning Point USA videos online, I became agitated because I didn’t agree with their arguments. However, when I attended the Leigh-Allyn Baker event, my perception changed. She discussed her experiences as a mother in the public school system and how she spoke out against the school her children attended. She continued by discussing the value of standing up for your rights, freedoms and beliefs. Although we may not have the same policy preferences, we have a very similar moral compass. This made me think that “the other side” may not be a threat to the country. My view of “the other side,” which was made based on videos from YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, was challenged when I understood the life experiences behind the idea.
Go to political events — whether you agree with them or not. When our sources for politics include misleading headlines, polarizing algorithms and 30-second videos of out-of-context speeches, we probably should just go to the individuals themselves. They may make fun of the political candidate that you are voting for, but it’s still a great experience.
