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The Pros And Cons Of Polarization

509 Words3 Pages

Long gone are the days of bipartisan cooperation and friendly political debate. Today we live in a nation of unprecedented polarization where issues like sexual assault have become divided down party lines. For my entire life, I have lived in California’s District 15, the most liberal district in the United States. Where I grew up, the word “Republican” is immediately associated with racism, misogyny and bigotry. While many enjoy the liberal bubble of the Bay Area, political debate is practically non-existent. This creates a dangerous situation in which groups of like-minded individuals live together to shield themselves from the “barbaric idiocy” of the opposing side without considering the merits of their arguments. When nearly everyone is in agreement over the disaster of the current administration and conservatism as a whole it is impossible to voice dissenting opinions without being ostracized. The danger of this polarization is further exacerbated by social media. …show more content…

Political discourse has been the hallmark of healthy democracies from ancient Athens to Revolutionary America. The creation of Twitter and Facebook have allowed millions of people to share their political opinions instantaneously with their followers and debate these opinions in an unmoderated environment. However, this creates a dangerous situation of polarization and misunderstanding. In order to avoid a collective hive-mind of uncriticized conformity within political parties, it is necessary to use social media, not as a soapbox to demonize the opposing party, but instead as a medium for intelligent political discourse between both sides of the isle. By staying true to one’s values and treating others with respect, social media can be an avenue for cooperation rather than a wall dividing

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