For What It’s Worth: Listen to opposing viewpoints

By CASH MOORE on August 18, 2022.

From my perspective and from what I hear from others, political discourse is becoming increasingly polarized and hostile.

Over the past couple of years, the country has been faced with an array of deeply divisive issues. Vaccine passports, COVID restrictions, abortion, racial injustice, etc. have all been major focal points in political discussion. These issues deal with questions that relate to an individual’s deepest morals and convictions. Naturally, people will have passionate opinions on these issues because their opinion directly relates to who they are on a personal level that goes beyond politics.

That being said, someone’s opinion on deep political questions is only one piece of the puzzle to the many things that make someone who they are. Someone’s character shouldn’t be judged by whether they are pro-choice/pro-life, conservative/liberal/socialist, support oil and gas or not, like/dislike a certain politician… etc. Instead, character should be judged based on how we treat others, which frankly has little to do with political beliefs.

Something we should strive for in a healthy democracy is the ability to discuss controversial issues in a respectful manner. People should be able to voice their opinions in the public sphere without fear of damaging their relationships, career or community standing. For example: I shouldn’t fear being beat up if I go to a bar in Bow Island and profess an admiration of Justin Trudeau. On the other side, I shouldn’t be worried about being excluded from class discussions, shunned by the professor or be called a Nazi if I say I don’t agree with critical race theory in a university poli-sci class.

Something that makes us human is the ability to have such a wide range of beliefs and values. I don’t want to live in an echo chamber where everyone agrees with me, even if on certain issues I vehemently disagree or even feel repulsed by an opposing viewpoint.

In an echo chamber, there is nothing to challenge the existing perspective. Rather, there is an array of sources that agree with and reinforce these perspectives. The information that is presented is portrayed as objective truth, while information from opposing sources is portrayed as lies.

By believing that opposing views are lies, there is a perception formed that these views have malicious intentions. This creates world views of deeply opposed forces, an all-or-nothing war between good and evil. When divisions run this deep, there is little room for reconciliation, how can you respectfully discuss issues with “evil”?

The fact of the matter is that political issues come down to different values. There is no good and evil. We should all be able to converse with and listen to different opinions without becoming hostile. This is how we grow as people and as a nation.

Fundamentally, every Canadian wants the same thing; to contribute to society, find a sense of purpose and enjoy a good life. We’re all in the same boat and there’s no reason to unnecessarily divide ourselves based on political differences.

Cash Moore is a political science student at the University of Alberta from Medicine Hat