Political Perspectives

Normally, ’tis Maleigh that does the interviews and the “journalistic” types of blog posts. But, an assignment that Mrs. Sibley gave us this week has really had me thinking. “Beings that everyone comes from completely different backgrounds, what do other people think about this whole thing called Politics?” So, I talked to 5 people, 2 seniors,  2 juniors, and a Boomer, and asked them all the same series of questions. 

Brianna Cox

What would you say your political affiliation is? Why?
– I don’t really have one. I just believe in human rights for everyone because I agree with both parties and I disagree with both. I also don’t know enough to really have an opinion.

What do you think about the generational divide between Boomers and Gen. Z?
– I think that times have changed and there is still a lot of boomers stuck in their ways and refuse to accept the way things are now.

Do you think that our perspective on the world reflects on our person? Why?
– Yes; I think if you’re an optimistic person, the world will seem like a better place, but if you’re a pessimistic person, it won’t. I’ve noticed that people who try to keep an optimistic view tend to be happier.

What is your opinion on the state of the world right now?
– I think that if everyone showed kindness, it would be a lot better. But right now, there are  too many people that are just hateful.

What part do you think race plays in our society?
– For some people, it doesn’t play a part at all. But for other, it decides whether they like a person or not. There’s so much prejudice against poc (people of color). They get little to no justice no matter where they are. White people have privilege regardless of whether they accept it or not. The faster we accept that, the faster we can use it to help everyone.

What part do you think gender plays in our society?
– Oh, women get stomped all over whether people realize it or not. Men make rules regarding women’s bodies. The wage gap between men and women is huge, women making 79 cents for every man’s dollar. Men can get vasectomies whenever, while women have to have to meet all sorts of criteria in order for them to get their tubes tied. Almost everything negatively affects women.

Stephyne Weathersby

What would you say your political affiliation is? Why?
– My political affiliation is a democrat because I believe that the government should provide assistance to those who need it. The world is hard and sometimes people need a helping hand.

What do you think about the generational divide between Boomers and Gen. Z?
– I understand that we are going to have different opinions. I mean that’s expected. However, I do not support when people wish death on the Boomers. I do feel like that [is] extreme and you shouldn’t wish death on anyone. But I do understand certain things the boomers say are problematic but [they] aren’t all like that. For instance my grandmother is a part of the boomer generation and me and her have intellectual conversations all the time. No we don’t agree with each other all the time but that doesn’t mean I stop talking to her. People love to exile someone who believe the same thing as them instead of trying to learn why they believe that way. We don’t have to agree with what they believe but we can come to a mutual understanding to say, “Hey, I don’t support that, but I do understand that is your opinion.” I think that if we talk more about things, we can close the gate on hate.

Do you think that our perspective on the world reflects on our person? Why?
– Yes because how you view the world reflects your opinions on the world. Also, it affects your choices as well. For instance, if you believe that the health of the world isn’t important, then you have no problem with littering. So [how] you view the world is really important and it mirrors who you are as a person.

What is your opinion on the state of the world right now?
– I think that the world is lost and it has been for a very long time now. We are lost and we need to learn new ways to function so we can have [a] better, accepting society. After quarantine, the world is never going to be the same, and I hope it’s for the better. I do believe that if everyone actively plays a positive part in helping the world and people, that it could be for the better. We need to use COVID-19 as a sign to become a better, united world.

What part do you think race plays in our society?
– Unfortunately, because [of] how this world was developed, race plays in every part in our society. Often, people think that it’s not racism to not acknowledge race and to “not see color” but that’s only doing more damage. To just ignore race would be to ignore someone’s culture, someone’s struggle of life. Because how someone was raised and who that person is has to do with their race, we have to pay attention to race in this society because if we don’t, we are accepting to ignore the racial issues in this world. We have to talk about it and discuss race and not be afraid.

What part do you think gender plays in our society?
– Gender plays whatever part and how much you allow it to play in our society. I believe that a woman can do anything a man can do. I believe certain people let their gender limit them because society tells them that they can’t. But if you believe that you can do something that you can do it regardless of your gender, race, anything.

Kathy Nguyen

What would you say your political affiliation is? Why?
-I don’t have one. I care more for the qualities in that candidate. I am not a democrat or a republican or anything really. I care more for policies and honesty. So basically I’m not affiliated with anything. I keep my options open.

What do you think about the generational divide between Boomers and Gen. Z?
-I think there needs to be a safe space where we can find common ground. Our values are way different because of the time. This always applies to the political parties because democrats no weren’t considered democrats back then. Like, they had different beliefs.

Do you think that our perspective on the world reflects on our person? Why?
– I think it reflects on how we react to situations. You can have many perspective on things, but really how you use that to affect your actions reflect on you as a person

What is your opinion on the state of the world right now?
– People are very scared right now. When you’re scared, you get paranoid and do stupid things. Right now, it really shows who we are as a society. Our actions now are reflecting on our society. I feel like there are so many negatives but we forget the good things are going on. We are also distracted because of this virus.

What part do you think race plays in our society?
– Bro, yes. I think it’s good that have different groups of people. Because we have diversity, we can come together. This time has made me more sympathetic towards other ethnic groups. I am now thinking more of other minorities when bad situations blow up and how they were alienated. Because I’m not the only [one] going through this.

What part do you think gender plays in our society?
– Gender identity is very empowering for a lot of people. It’s something that can make us confident and give us comfort. There is a divide in genders, but everyday the line is just being blurred. People just need to be respectful. There’s so much confusion about gender identity, but if you take the time to understand then things would go more smoothly. I see a lot of inferior feelings between men and women, and this goes both ways. People forget that feminism is about equality. No gender is superior [over] another.

Dion Ruiz

What would you say your political affiliation is? Why?
– I would say for the most part I’m pretty liberal, but I wouldn’t call myself a Democrat. The Democratic Politicians like to dangle change in the face of black people without really delivering, so I can’t really prescribe to them. The Republican Party strictly serves the interest of cis, straight, white males. Therefore, I have no business on that side of the fence either. So, all in all, I would describe myself as a intermediate liberal.

What do you think about the generational divide between Boomers and Gen. Z?
– I feel an inability to progress mentally causes it. The human brain matures at 25. So, relatively speaking, at that age, political, social, and economical standpoints are solidified inside a persons mind for the most part. Ever hear the phrase, “Can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” That little saying really summarizes why the generational divide is inevitable. It’s a hard pill to swallow when everything you’ve thought to be right is proven to be wrong. However, this is the reality of evolutionary thought. I think of myself as fairly progressive or “woke” in my thinkings, but I’m pretty sure my standpoints will be proven, through sensible reasoning, to be wrong. While I seem to have a good grasp on that reality, I’m sure I will struggle with it just as the “Boomers” are. It’s never easy being told your wrong.

Do you think that our perspective on the world reflects on our person? Why?
– Forgive me if I’m misunderstanding the question, but I feel it’s backwards. I think our person reflects our perspective of the world. Take the confederate flag, for example. A lot of Caucasians can’t fathom why a piece of fabric could hold so much negative meaning. That’s because people who look like them were not targeted by people flying that flag. However, they can and will detest the swastika as a negative sign because people who looked like them were targeted by people wearing that symbol. It’s the fact that your quality of life is completely indicative on how you look that makes me believe this statement to be true. If I live out my entire life eating nothing but broccoli, a person who has never tasted broccoli could never tell me what it is to eat it. Therefore, I will have a view that is not shared by them. We will have completely different outlooks on food or “life”.

What is your opinion on the state of the world right now?
– That’s probably the hardest you’ve asked me so far. To be honest, I don’t really have an opinion. I haven’t really taken the time to form an opinion on the world because it’s depressing when you think about it. If I had to give an opinion, I would just say “bad”.  The world is going downhill at a rapid pace, and the people with the power to do anything about [it] won’t be alive long enough to deal with their lack of problem solving. So, yeah, I would just say “bad”.

What part do you think race plays in our society?
– Every part. From the day I was born to the day I die, I will be an “African American”.  That is a box that was already checked for me when I was born. A box I have to check when I’m in school, when applying for jobs, when getting any piece of identification for myself given by the state. It would be ludicrous to suggest that race doesn’t play a part in every aspect of life because if that were so, I wouldn’t have to constantly disclose mine. And I say that as if you couldn’t tell with one look that I was black. Everything, to the way you’re treated in a store, at school, in the legal system, etc. is based off your race. The only people that would disagree as a majority would be white people. What do you call white person? I’m “African American” and that Asian girl is “Asian American” and that Cherokee boy is “Native American”. The fact that they don’t have to be hyphenated to be identified shows you why they’d disagree. Race is present in every aspect of life.

What part do you think gender plays in our society?
– At a risk of sounding repetitive, every part. Based off your sex, you are assigned a gender (which is not derivative of your reproductive organs, or at least shouldn’t be). The gender you are perceived as has many expectations tied to it. Being a man, you are expected to prescribe to masculinity, in all its toxicity. Being a woman, however, you are expected to prescribe to the standards of femininity, but you have no say in said standard. Society favors men in many ways. In my opinion, one of the most important ways they are favored is when it comes to being heard. A man’s place is defined by men, and a woman’s place is ALSO defined by men. Due to this, women have to fight much harder to push pass boundaries. Being a man, I have little knowledge on the experience of being treated differently based of my gender, however the difference is most definitely present. I just can’t go into as much detail as I would like because I can’t describe disadvantages that I don’t experience.

Now, I thought it completely unfair that I only spoke to teenagers around my age. So, I interviewed the most home-grown boomer I know: My Dad. 

Tim Sullivan

(I will not be including a picture for familial reasons)

What would you say your political affiliation is? Why?
-I’m a Conservative, because I believe in smaller government and more individual freedom.

What do you think about the generational divide between Boomers and Gen. Z?
-Most of Generation Z are being raised without traditional values of respect, working for your income, and self-sufficiency.

Do you think that our perspective on the world reflects on our person? Why?
-Yeah, because I think your outlook on the world determines how you interact with other people.

What is your opinion on the state of the world right now?
-The world is unsettled, unstable, and there is a lot of distrust among people. And as a result, if you can’t trust people, it makes it hard to get alone with people.

What part do you think race plays in our society?
-People of all different races have predetermined opinions about other people of other races.

What part do you think gender plays in our society?
-I think there’ll always be a different way that men and women approach problems. They generally will solve problems different ways. Men tend to be more logical, women tend to be more emotional. It’s not true across the board, but it is a tendency.

There it is. I hope you enjoyed reading this and that you can agree with at least a few things that were said. Now, I know that some of the topics brought up could be considered controversial, but if you found something different from your own personal views, please don’t respond with animosity. Instead, I ask that you try to understand where they are coming from. It never hurts to listen. 

Well, I apologize if this post was way too long, but I hope you have an amazing rest of your week. See you soon. 🙂