COVER STORY

BY KENNEDY OGDEN & ALYSHA WALLACE In 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. 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-

making Peaceful discussion

Artwork by Kennedy Ogden

er person. In this situation, it is important to not get discouraged. There are always shifts in the political climate, and that can affect political opinions. The importance is to listen and not argue, it only deepens the divide.

DON'T TRUST YOUR FEED

Speaking out about political issues via social media has become more common since the killing of Gorge Floyd. The convenience of social media has made it increasingly easier to talk about political antics.

The downside to politics on social media is that the conversation is very often one-sided. Most often, there is a post for one side of the argument but there is never a view-point for the other side.

“Social media makes it much easier to speak/write, instead of listening,” Decker said. “If you want to have a real political discussion, you should listen at least as much as you speak.”

Another downside that is at large is the inaccuracy of some political-type posts. Social media companies tend to “customize” feeds to the user’s liking. They use information from user activity to push certain genres of posts. These could be posts that are related to others that have inaccurate facts.

“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.

Disagreements come with many different topics from pizza toppings to the state of our country. The importance of these discussions is they keep the world on its toes. There is constant innovation going on within society because of difficult conversations. There are ways to remain civil while still exercising the First Amendment rights. Continue to be passionate about issues within society but remember that the First Amendment does not guarantee citizens the right to say anything they want, whenever they want.

“Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. famously said the First Amendment does not protect someone who falsely yells ‘fire’ in a crowded theater,” Decker said.

Know your FIRST AMENDMENT rights

wearing clothing with a message Okay: Wearing a t-shirt in support of your favorite politician. This decision was made in the court case Tinker v. Des Moines where the court stated that students do not lose their right to the First Amendment unless they “materially disrupt” school.

Not Okay: Wearing a t-shirt to school with profanity on it. In this situation, you cannot claim that your First Amendment rights have been violated because the profanity is not protected speech.

social media posts Okay: Posting political opinions on social media that do not contain obscenity, fighting words, defamation or child pornography is protected by the First Amendment. Posting outside of the school day, even something rude about the school, is protected by the First Amendment.

Not Okay: Posting threatening language on social media; there is no protection under the First Amendment in this situation. The First Amendment does not protect against obscenity, fighting words, defamation and child pornography. The context of the social media post depends on what the true violation is.

holding a protest Okay: The right to protest is highlighted in the First Amendment. Peaceful protest is permitted in the United States. This means a gathering of people exercising their right to protest government changes. Protesting an issue on school grounds before the start of school would be protected by the First Amendment.

Not Okay: Riots and violent protests are not protected by the First Amendment. Vandalism to buildings during a protest is also not protected by the first amendment. Breaking into government buildings and trespassing is another situation where this would not be considered a protest. In turn, it would not be protected by the First Amendment. In a school setting, hosting a walkout during class would not be protected because it would be a “substantial disruption.”

writing in a school publication Okay: Writing your opinion on a controversial topic is protected by the First Amendment. Telling others how you feel about the topic and saying why you think it is okay or right. It is also okay to say why you think the other side is wrong and support your opinions with facts or statistics.

Not Okay: It is not okay to write an opinion that can hurt others or uses vulgar language. When writing your opinion, you are not to use fighting words or slander the opposing side. You can’t threaten or blackmail the opposing side in any way either.

speech with drug references Okay: Speech with drug references is okay when you are informing others about drugs. If you are trying to inform others about the dangers drugs, you are allowed to use the nicknames for the drugs along with the effects that drugs can have on your life as long as you are not promoting the drug.

Not Okay: It is not okay to promote drugs in any way, shape or form. It is not protected by the First Amendment if you are telling people it is okay to do drugs. It is also not okay to inform people how to get drugs, use the names right, or promoting the drug is not protected in school, either.