In his incredibly famous farewell address, George Washington gave a few sage warnings to what was then a budding nation. Of these warnings, perhaps the most poignant was his warning against excessive fervor in regards to political parties.
Today, the warnings of George Washington have all but come to fruition, as an excessive and blind belief in political party affiliation has led to a broken political system, wherein individuals are more loyal to their parties than to the country.
According to the Pew Research Center, among those highly engaged in politics, 70% of Democrats and 62% of Republicans express fear for the other party. Likewise, the 2016 political arena has been inundated with a special brand of party polarization that has not existed since 1992.
This is not to say political parties are not without virtue. They give active citizens a chance to lay out their beliefs within a group of like-minded individuals and strive to put forward their best foot. However, when our love for our party supersedes our love for the betterment of society, chaos ensues.
The idea that if you identify with one party, then you cannot compromise with another, is one that has become the norm. Likewise, the inability of members of our congress, especially Congressional Republicans, to see past party lines (and the money in their pocket) has led to a fractured government, where the words ‘healthy debate’ and ‘compromise’ ring hollow. If the individuals elected to represent us can only do so in the interests of their political party, and not necessarily the betterment of the country, there is a massive problem at hand.
In a tumultuous America where the idea of Democrat vs. Republican has evolved to mean Me vs. You, with no regard to actual belief, it is important to note the difference between what may stimulate a healthy and cooperative government, and an autocratic society wherein only a select few get to make the rules.
If every Democrat is immediately branded as a lazy socialist, and every Republican a greedy bigot, there is no conversation to be had. No compromise to be made. When a person’s political affiliation becomes a brand they cannot erase, especially one that disengages anyone who believes they do not agree, we fail as a nation to make the decisions that will improve our country.
In a political climate that grows more heated by the day, it is important to stand up for justice and the rights of your fellow Americans as they deserve it—not necessarily as a political party says it does.
