Opinion: Let's Listen

Let's Listen. Let's Discuss.

America has been a melting pot for decades. Diversity defines this nation. It is this nation’s ability to highlight our differences and work together that make us stronger. We leverage these differences to create incredible change and innovation. The differences we have make the work we do better.

In the light of Richard Spencer being granted the ability to speak at University of Michigan, I understand how hard it is to be willing to even attempt to understand someone who questions your right to even exist. Richard Spencer is a white supremacist who spews hate, sexism, and racism continuously. By engaging with his supporters who are willing to listen, which are likely extremely few, one can possibly show them the importance of acceptance and compassion. It will be hard, and you may think it might not be worth it. But given the right (safe) opportunity, it could be worth a try.

However with so many events like this popping up across our nation, I still never thought a day would come where America would move backwards. As an Indian-American woman growing up in a white, wealthy suburb of Detroit, there were times when I faced implicit racism and sexism during my childhood. But over time, I thought things improved. I thought we had progressed as a society. The only word I can use to describe what I felt on election night was disappointment.

Regardless of my own political views, I knew Trump voters had their reasons, and I wanted to explore what motivated someone to vote for him. So I chose to do something I knew that would make me uncomfortable at first. I decided to listen – listen to people who I fundamentally disagreed with and hear their side of the story.

I made it clear when I reached out to these individuals that I was simply curious, and that I wanted to hear a different side of the story – which was true. Through this process, I spoke with a conservative who voted for Donald Trump, a conservative who did not vote for him, and a libertarian who voted for a third party candidate.

First, I spoke to my friend, a 20-year-old female college student who had voted for Donald Trump last fall. She had been raised a conservative Christian who was staunchly pro-life. She came from a wealthy family who wanted lower taxes and thought Donald Trump was not corrupt unlike other politicians. She understood that Trump’s rhetoric was divisive and derogatory, but it was not enough for her to vote for another candidate. She explained, “He has said some crazy things in the past, but he has shown he deeply cares about this nation”. She believed Clinton was incredibly corrupt and would lead this country into another war. Although I disagreed with her views, I understood why she had them. She had been free to develop her own views on the country and world, but I knew her upbringing and background were a large determinant in that development.

Next, I spoke with a friend of mine, a conservative 19-year-old male college student from a suburb of New York City. He, however, had not voted for Donald Trump and had chosen to abstain from voting this last election. He stated, “I grew up learning Hail Mary’s and singing Ave Maria in 2nd grade. Conservatism was practically ingrained in me. It was all I knew growing up.” Ultimately, however, he stated his decision to not vote for Donald Trump was simple. Although he was right-leaning, he could not support an individual who spewed racist and sexist comments continuously. Having two sisters, my friend stated, “I could not vote to put this type of person into the highest office. By voting for him, I would validate his statements, and it would mean I approved of them, which I definitely do not. I still do not”. Explaining how he believed Donald Trump was not a real conservative and had hijacked the Republican party, I could sense the disappoint in his voice. Later, he says, he realized that by abstaining from voting, had voted for Trump by default.

Lastly, I sat down with a friend who voted for an independent party candidate. This friend, a 20-year-old female college student from Chicago, voted for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party candidate. Prior to her support for Johnson, she was a staunch Rand Paul advocate. When Paul left the race for the Republican candidacy, however, she decided to switch party lines. She stated although she had been blessed financially, resulting in her fiscally conservative views, having grown up in downtown Chicago led her to be incredibly socially liberal. Later, she described how she had felt cheated by the Republican Party when they announced that Donald Trump would be their candidate. She knew the chances of her candidate winning were extremely slim, but she did not feel comfortable voting for either Clinton or Trump.

Hearing all these perspectives, for lack of a better term, really put things into perspective for me. It may be just the beginning but I started to understand why people made the decisions they made. It starts from your roots - your background. People do not just wake up one day and decide they are going to be conservative or be liberal or even be racist. They are taught to be one way or the other. It is entrenched in them from a young age by their family and peers. Former South African President Nelson Mandela once stated, "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love." The same goes for politics. By listening to one another, we can teach each other.

It is common that liberals will push conservatives to the side and refuse to hear what they have to say and vice versa. However, conversation is what we so desperately need. It is what leads to understanding. Everyone fighting for an issue, a policy, or even just a voice believes they are fighting for something good. Being willing to listen to someone’s ideas does not mean you need to agree with them, but it does mean you need to understand them. You never know where you could find common ground.

At the end of the day, all we can do is try -- try to make this world a better, more welcoming place. Conversation is vital for there ever to be progress. Discussion is crucial. Talk to your neighbors, reach out to those who are vastly different than you. Be willing to open your eyes and ears to different ideas. Change does not happen overnight. It happens one minute, one hour, and one day at a time.