Open-mindedness. It’s something that I believe is pivotal for intelligent discussions, but it is something that more and more I am finding people reject.
This was the case when it was announced that Ben Shapiro, a conservative political commentator, was coming to Ohio State to give a talk. On the one side, there were liberals on campus who were protesting the talk, screaming derogatory terms at Shapiro and demanding that he leave. And on the other side, there were conservatives who were extremely excited to see him speak, all the while punching protestors back with insults.
As I was sitting in the showing room in the Student Union, I felt the stomps of protestors course through my body and I could hear insulting comments about liberals all around me. I had never been in such a highly politically charged environment, and seeing two extremes collide in one place terrified me.
Personally, I like to identify myself as independent. It allows me to keep an open mind to each political party and stops myself from the blind loyalty that I believe a two-party system can sometimes create. I didn’t know a lot about Ben Shapiro before I went to his talk, just that he was a conservative commentator and that people either loved him, or they hated him, but I decided to go nonetheless. For me, it’s important that I am able to hear an argument from all sides so that I can then form my own personal opinion on the matter. Having discussions with others who think differently than yourself gives a deeper view into the matter at hand, and allows everyone to develop a well-rounded perspective.
Hearing Shapiro talk, there were some points he made that I was able to agree with, and others that I fundamentally disagreed with. And that’s okay. By going to hear his perspective, I am now more educated on conservative reasoning and can better empathize with conservatives who feel the same way as Shapiro.
In politically charged moments, it’s easy to forget that we’re all humans and we all deserve respect. Instead of lashing out at those who have different views from yourself, it would be more productive to lend an ear. See what they have to say, and why they are saying it. Sometimes the answer will be surprising, sometimes it won’t. Respond without insults to character, but instead with poised logic and reason.
Keeping an open mind, even in the tough moments, pays more than arming up against one another.