Editorial: Reflections on political inclusivity

With the election season coming to an end, perhaps it's time for some honest reflection on how we ended up with such a polarized national political climate and two of the most unlikable candidates in the history of the United States. Critics of this year's election most often cite political incompatibility between Republicans and Democrats as the culprit; the inability to find common ground on political issues has led our two parties to nominate candidates that many Americans feel do not do an adequate job of representing the values and interests of our country as a whole. The lack of political cohesion among Americans has left many feeling both frustrated and ostracized by the election process. This begs the question, “How can we, students at Tufts, help solve this problem?”

Before we can even begin to think about solutions, we must first identify our own part in the problem. At Tufts, according to a March 2016 survey conducted by the Daily and Enigma (Tufts' Independent Data Journal), about 72 percent of undergraduate students identify as Democrats, while only seven percent identify as Republicans. This statistic alone provides significant insight into the direction that political discussions at Tufts tend to lean.

The fact that Tufts is a liberal-leaning university is not a secret to anyone. However, such a large disparity between the number of Republicans and Democrats on campus presents a serious challenge for social cohesion. The ability to work with others who have opposing views is one of the most important skills one can gain from their college experience; not only is it a necessary component of most future careers and endeavors, but it also helps us become more open-minded and productive members of our society as it allows us to work out compromises with our neighbors and peers.

One-sided political discussions do more than just prevent cohesion, though. They also rob individuals from both sides of the opportunity to make themselves heard and learn from the other side. This is particularly damaging to the side of the political discussion that is left out. At Tufts, many conservative students feel they are not given a voice, many refuse to discuss their conservative values for fear of being judged and many feel that when they do discuss their conservative values, they are ostracized by their peers.

Of course, there have been opinions espoused by many on the right this election cycle that we cannot expect certain members of this community to respect, or even to engage with in an emotionally detached manner. Muslims and undocumented students cannot be expected to be civil when someone says they believe that their families should be deported. Jewish students should not have to abide antisemitic sentiments. Transgender individuals can't be expected to give someone the space to tell them why their gender identity is "incorrect."

A civil, respectful political discussion can happen if the parties stick to some ground rules. Discussions should avoid dehumanizing rhetoric, respect each person's lived experience and avoid jumping to conclusions. That last one is important: A wide range of people call themselves conservatives and Republicans, and to assume that someone who subscribes to these labels necessarily also subscribes to racist, sexist, transphobic or otherwise dehumanizing ideology is reductive, in the same way that assuming someone who identifies as a liberal doesn't subscribe to that ideology. It prevents a civil discussion from happening in the first place, let alone succeeding, and when liberals and conservatives don't get to engage in that discourse, both of them lose the opportunity to learn something new and to form nuanced opinions.

Our two-party system is functional when it facilitates productive dialogue between different groups of opposing values. However, that system can only work as long as both groups are willing to listen to and show respect for one another. Tufts students are often described as great political activists; yet, in order to achieve the social change we seek, we must first work to promote an environment that isn't limited to the majority perspective.

Conservative values, while perhaps in the minority at Tufts, help make political decisions for half the country; thus, they are entitled to, if not necessarily agreement, at least a certain degree of respect. By excluding conservative viewpoints, we are robbing ourselves of discussions that are more representative of the general American public as well as depriving Republicans of a welcoming political environment.

Currently, organizations like Tufts CIVIC are working to promote formal environments where this type of respectful, bipartisan discussion can be had. While this is most certainly the first step in working towards greater inclusiveness for conservative thought on campus, the next step is much more challenging. As a student body, we need to be more open to discussions like those that CIVIC promotes in the informal setting as well. This means that Democrats should encourage divergent thought from Republicans and be willing to hear their views and opinions, so long as those views don't infringe on their own rights to liberty, speech and safety. While this most certainly is not a problem that can be fixed overnight, it is one that if given enough time and effort, will drastically improve political inclusivity on campus — both during election periods and on a day-to-day basis.