reflections pt. 2

 

"So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation's future is at stake."

                            President John F. Kennedy 

I've said this before, but I'll say it again: I gained a great deal of political maturity while in South Carolina. 

Our country's political system is fractured not only along party lines, but within the parties themselves. We have lost respect for one another in our fervent descent into partisanship. We know this, we see it every day when yet another budget fails or a bill that could help millions of Americans is shot down. Though we spent time in South Carolina observing the primary, we also saw grassroots campaigners working hard to make sure that the candidates saw the needs of their constituents.

We met with representatives like Jermaine Johnson, Micah Caskey, and Mike Neese, all of whom have vastly different backgrounds and political views, but who all care deeply for the people they represent. Not only that, but they are ready and willing to reach across the aisle, treat their colleagues with respect, and have an open mind.

When I lamented about the state of the nation and how hard it seemed to effect change, one of my fellow students told me that the only way is up. By this, he meant from the ground up. President Biden and President Trump didn’t win their elections through the big-wigs in D.C. They won their elections because of the work of people like those we observed at the South Carolina Democratic Party and the S.C. GOP. Grassroots politics, grassroots campaigns are the way to begin to affect change. Voting in your municipal elections and staying up to date on who your representatives are is vital.

The work to change our country from this divided place we stand must start from the ground up. If you want your candidate to win this coming election, start working. Volunteer for your party, make sure your friends and family are informed, but crucially, do not ostracize. Do not mock or hate, but rather seek to understand the places people are coming from when they advocate for one policy position or another. This is not to say that you must equivocate or not stand up for your beliefs, but do it in a manner that gives dignity to both yourself and your opponent. 

Constantly, we hear that we are in unprecedented times, and so we must take President Kennedy’s advice. The future of our nation is at stake. Let us take a page from the book of the politicians and organizers from South Carolina. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves.