Election season has begun. Papers flying, news stations buzzing and people chanting this and that. But the American symbol of triumph — a season of pride and impiety — may just be one of our greatest weaknesses. Among the chaos, as you check boxes, furrow brows and wave fists angrily in the air, for the sake of America, please remember: never take a political opinion as a judgment of character. You may just run out of friends if you try.
As old England separated the Catholic Church from the state, we separate the government from the people and the war from the heart. In a sphere of hyperpolarization, allowing hatred and annoyance to linger among innocent conversations of coffee and Mars is a severe moral injustice to the character before you. A presidential preference, a pro-this or anti-that, all have little to do with character. Rather, let actions speak. The moral inflation of politics has increased among Gen Z and college students who, bright-eyed, enter the political sphere ready to enact civic change — an honorable and mandatory duty — yet do so without the proper understanding of integrity. Politics does not consume everyday life. We must all be reminded of that.
I wholeheartedly encourage political passion — it’s what keeps my democracy thriving. Though we struggle with polarization within the political sphere, let this remain here at least. As emotions are high, especially when indefensible lives are involved in the current seemingly endless Middle Eastern wars, it’s difficult not to judge someone who disagrees with you. I do it all the time, and it may be the case that you do too. Political philosophy rests on the assumption that your argumentator does not judge your character but rather the logic of your words and arguments. Doing so is what is considered an Ad Hominem fallacy. As friendships rest on respect, kindness and empathy, let nothing else impede on such a judgment of goodness.
Politics is a disagreement of the descriptive, of facts. A political scientist deals with what is, not what ought to be. This succinctly, and very importantly, distinguishes a moral or ought-to-be conversation from a factual one. More likely than not, you and your friend both share very similar core morals, with some variable nuance, but disagree on a factual technicality — say historical figures, dates or quotes. All sides of the political spectrum agree that murder is wrong, justice is fair and equality is good. Political disagreement occurs beyond the goods and bads. And though this line between normative or not is tricky to define in politics, trust your intuition which disagreements are worth overlooking or not, for your own sanity of mind.
Cancel culture is the most notable and disastrous consequence of overridden intuition and this trend of judgment of politics as a normative framework is only a disregard of another’s dignity and a disorder of the heart.
Search to understand the core values involved in a friendship. If they misalign, then the friendship may best be respectfully let go. But an argument over what is going on in the world — not what it ought to be — may destroy an otherwise cherished and invaluable friendship. I have done it too many times, so I take great heaviness in the words I write now, in grief and the humility I seek to portray for the experiences different from my own.
Love that looks past disagreement bubbles bolder than ever. Political diversity may find only greater friendship, where we look at what we value rather than what we do not. Where winning an argument is dissatisfying, humiliating and a means for insignificant political gain. Politics is suit-and-tie mumbo-jumbo that, though prevails justice and order, is also, well, just politics. So, may your humility of factual indifference spare a beautiful and enriching life of diversity, health and happiness.
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Zaina Jasser is a junior studying physiology and philosophy with a minor in music at the University of Arizona. She enjoys conversations about ethics, trying new cheeses, and metal rock and wants to work in medicine one day.
