Inclusion is definitely a hot topic on the DePauw campus. A 2017 article from Gallup randomly sampled 3,014 college students, and of those students 92% felt that liberal students could openly and freely express their views. On the other hand, only 69% of students felt that conservative students could openly and freely express their views.
The adjective inclusive is defined as, “including everything or all types of people.” Being inclusive, therefore, is giving all people or ideas representation. However, in modern American politics, inclusiveness has developed a new definition.
Liberal politicians often preach on the idea of inclusion, specifically towards minority groups and those who share similar ideologies. A liberal political ideology combines the importance of civil liberty and equality with support through social justice movements and the maintenance of government programs. Yet, how can liberal politicians truly be inclusive when their focus is only on those who share their ideology? We cannot push this idea of being subjectively inclusive because it only makes the polarity in politics worse.
In 2018 Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) encouraged her supporters to harass members of Trump’s cabinet. Waters vocally resisted the Trump administration. She refused to attend Trump’s inauguration, was one of the earliest to announce a boycott of the president’s State of the Union address and in a New York Times video said, “If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station; you get out and you create a crowd, and you push back on them, and you tell them they are not welcome.”
To some this may seem shocking, but this is proof that conservative views are often excluded. The reality behind being a conservative on campus is actually ‘no conservatives.’
This is exactly the problem I am talking about: pushing for harassment against those who do not agree. It’s shocking to see that those who are supposed to be inclusive are urging their supporters to harass those who do not agree with them.
I’m not saying we all have to agree, but I think if we give all political views equal space it will only do good for America. Including all ideas allows us to challenge each other,and consider new views and opinions. No person should be isolated just because they hold an “unpopular opinion” or just a different political opinion.
On the other hand, some argue that many conservative views are perceived as racist, inciting violence, and labeled hate speech. The solution then, is to regulate conservative ideologies, which only creates more tension between political groups and violates free expression. Liberals often jump straight to these accusations, with little consideration of what conservatives are actually saying.
The only way to truly grow politically is challenging yourself, and that can only be done when all political ideologies are given space to be spoken about. More open discussion of all political views will lead to a greater amount of inclusion. The least we can do is include each others opinions instead of excluding them.
This idea must be applied universally: a conservative should not exclude leftist views from the conversation and vice versa. In our current political climate, one side is often the dominating voice, but no voice should be left unheard. The more often views are excluded, the more divided our country will become. The more we include and allow others to share their beliefs, the easier it will become to solve political issues.