Judge Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court on Oct. 6, 2018. This confirmation comes after an absolute media circus and heaps of public unrest regarding Dr. Ford and Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing a week before. The Kavanaugh issue is on the minds of most people I talk to on campus. It is absolutely incredible how divided we all are on this issue.
My opinion on the Kavanaugh confirmation does not matter. I could write about what I think, but I would just be adding to the infinite cesspool of opinions on this issue. I am not partisan in any way on this issue. I genuinely just want to see America make it through this and remain a place my future children can live in.
Our country is more divided than it has ever been, according to studies done by Politico.com, and this Kavanaugh confirmation was the exemplification of just how deep the divisions are. When I watched the hearing, I wasn’t amazed by the testimonies of Kavanaugh or Ford. What amazed me was the level to which Republicans and Democrats fundamentally disagree on every single subject. In the hearing, the senators could not agree on a single thing. This is the same in my experience with talking to liberals and conservatives. Both sides could not disagree more about everything.
Since America officially became a nation in 1783, there have been political divisions. However, in the past, the parties were able to see the perspective of the other side and make compromises. This was possible because although the politicians of the past disagreed, they respected the other side’s difference of opinion and respected them as individuals.
We have officially departed from any semblance of respect. The problem is greater than us being simply divided. The problem is that Republicans and Democrats don’t respect each other as people. Politics becoming this personal has caused it to become more of an “us versus you” type of political atmosphere, and it is extremely destructive to the country.
Liberals and conservatives alike are both equally guilty. There is no moral high ground on either side. Liberals are too short-minded to open their minds to see where conservatives might be coming from, and conservatives are the same way.
I often wonder if the divisions in America can ever be reconciled. For many liberals; all Trump supporters are racist, bigoted, sexist and un-intelligent people. For many conservatives, every liberal is elitist and crazy. How can we share ideas and grow as a nation if we automatically dislike someone with a differing view? It’s impossible. We have to hear each other out.
The Kavanaugh confirmation comes as sad news. Though, not because he was confirmed but because of how deranged and insane our country has become. To be honest, I think the Kavanaugh confirmation transcends the politics of it.
The confirmation gave America a glimpse of how divided we are, and how much work we have to do to sort this out. If we do not work this out I genuinely believe this is what will destroy our country. It will not be the liberals’ fault, just as it will not be the conservatives’ fault. It will be everyone’s fault who does not realize that we are a family, and we are not getting away from each other. If America is to survive for our grandchildren, we have to learn how to listen and love each other.
