Politics becoming a social conversation

Photo+courtesy+Joe+Raedle%2FGetty+Images+%28bigthink.com%29

Photo courtesy Joe Raedle/Getty Images (bigthink.com)

Reggie Pierre, Reporter

*The STAC students quoted in this article asked that their identities be kept anonymous.

In the last four years, everyone’s views on politics have become a part of almost every social conversation.

One STAC student said, “I remember the days that everyone’s political views would be hidden or barely spoken on, just like religion.”

Some may say former President Donald Trump revealed real political views of many Americans and how they see their peers.

“The former president has made voicing your views on politics become a topic in conversations, that usually turn out bad,” another STAC student said.

At work and at school during the 2020 election, tensions were running high between Trump supporters and Democrats. Many people wanted to know the views of their peers to figure out if they shared the same views as them. If not, they would most likely part ways. This raises the question of: if Trump had never been the kind of president that he was, would Americans still be living a lie? The lie in question is whether they would be asking others what their views on politics are and why. Many individuals on social media would post their political views and simply say, “If you don’t agree, please don’t hesitate to unfollow me.” People believed that if they didn’t know your political views that they really didn’t know you. It even came to the point of family members fighting and posting angry messages saying, “To anyone who’s voting for Biden, just unfriend me. You are not just making a mistake. You are a bad person and know nothing about politics.”

Now fast forward to after the election: President Joe Biden has been in office for almost three months. Have things changed? Some say they feel a sense of calmness in the country and that the dust has settled, while there are some other Americans who feel as though there are people waiting for another opportunity to attack like they did at the US Capitol on Jan. 6.

A STAC student discussed how President Biden hasn’t made a change with the issue at hand which is racism. He said that former President Trump has left a “stain on the American Flag.” Every time this student sees the flag on people’s cars or front yards, he does not believe that they are patriotic. He believes that they are racist and publicizing their views to let everyone know where they stand on politics.

What do you believe the American flag stands for now in today’s world?