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BY KENNEDY OGDEN & ALYSHA WALLACE n the last week, a student posted a picture to social media regarding a political topic. The post included a picture of the student next to President Biden, claiming support for him. In the comments of that post, there were many adoring comments about the student, but within those comments, there were negative ones. Other students were commenting things like “Ew, how could you support that lier?” This prompted many arguments within the comments. Some people commented in solidarity with the student who posted the content but others did not.Oftentimes people are told not to bring up politics in hopes of avoiding conflict. It has become popular for younger generations to share their opinions in hopes of changing society. Unfortunately, with the divide in our country, civil discourse has become very challenging. Although politics are a hard conversation for some, there are ways to express one’s voice politely and respectfully. FIND THE FACTS Misinformation causes much disagreement. It is important to fact-check the information before you put it out, according to sophomore Meghan Penn. She advises people to read primary sources when forming political opinions. “Misinformation is dangerous and the only way to prevent its spread is to fact check with multiple sources and stay away from extremely biased outlets,” Penn said. “Especially with politics, there will most likely be an official statement made by trusted government officials based on what’s happening.” Although doing research is a big part of knowing what is accurate in a conversation, looking at reliable sources is also an asset. Looking at one unreliable source is not enough to get your opinion across according to social studies and English teacher Dana Decker. “Do your research from reliable sources, more than one source. Look for holes in the research,” Decker said. Researching topics not only strengthens the stance one takes but it also makes it easier for people new to politics.
10 BLUEPRINTS NOVEMBER 2020
making Peaceful discussion
Artwork by Kennedy Ogden
It allows for them to not spread the misinformation if they read it from a reliable source that they see or hear. “Today, anyone on the internet can present something as a fact. It is up to individuals to put work into their research before forming an opinion on a topic,” social studies teacher Jeremy Hopping said. KEEP CALM AND LISTEN Demeanor plays a large role in getting people to engage in a conversation, especially one that involves politics. Going into a conversation with an intent to argue will lead to an unproductive conversation. “Starting from a position of humility and intellectual curiosity rather than
from a desire to make a point can put you in the right frame of mind to express your opinions respectfully,” Hopping said. “You have to be willing to accept that they are called political opinions for a reason” Aside from keeping a calm demeanor during a tough conversation, listening to others’ opinions plays a key role in the discussion. “Consider what you are hearing the other person say,” Decker said. “Even though you have different ideas, what do you find that you both agree with? Talk about those ideas, too, not just your disagreements” The points made in the conversation may not always be welcomed by the oth-
