According to the Suffolk Times, Shelter Island High School advisor James Bocca and senior Nicolette Frasco presented a request to see the presidential inauguration at the March 2016 Board of Education meeting. “Board of Education members approved the trip,” says the article, “...with the speculation that the students might see the inauguration of the nation’s first woman president.” However, when Donald Trump won the election in November, plans changed quickly. Their superintendent “recommended the Board of Education rescind its previous approval of the January visit and substitute a trip to Washington between May 10 and 13,” the article says. In the superintendent’s words, there was “no reason” to put students “in a position where anything
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This—not a simple forgetful lack of specification—is why Shelter Island revoked its plans to attend the inauguration. These pervasive stereotypes and labels affect us all, sometimes even subconsciously. Align yourself with the Black Lives Matter movement, and you’ll be railed against because some of the protests featured obscene violence. Disclose that you are a Trump supporter and you’ll automatically transform into a “racist”—lumped together with members of the alt-right who spout insane, inappropriate comments. Support the ideas of feminism and you are dubbed a “feminazi”—automatically equated to radical feminists like Lena Dunham (who said she wishes she’d had an abortion at some point in her life so she could be a “better feminist”). Wear a hijab, and you risk being prejudged, thanks to the radical Islamic terrorism that has left many people terrified of Muslims. Say that the environment is in danger, and suddenly, you’re a hippie. And finally—initiate a successful political movement, run a campaign largely on your own money, and win the election through a process that has been in place since the founding of our nation, and be labeled a “fascist, racist, heteronormative, extreme, insensitive, illegitimate …show more content…
The divisions born from differing factions affect our nation in the most tragic way: they inhibit our government. I solemnly believe that everyone’s individual beliefs are valid, so long as they abide by the law and the Constitution. However, it is foolish to ignore a truth written in our nation’s very fabric: compromise leads to resolution. The issue with polarization, radicalization, and full alliance is that the opportunity to test your beliefs is radically diminished, meaning that your beliefs will never mature or change. A mature belief is one that has been tested, discussed, analyzed, and actively questioned. Much like bills, beliefs that are finally “set-in-law” are the ones that tip a hat to opposing views, tone down the rhetoric, and offer solutions that are—most of the time—moderate in nature. Unyielding divisions detrimentally affect our government by making compromise harder and harder to reach. What lasting changes were brought about by any one party? After an exhaustive eight years of Democrat dominance, the Obama administration’s prized trophy, Obamacare, was struck down in the first week of Trump’s presidency. Sure, parties have helped the economy in dire times. Sure, parties have guided wars. But these actions have to be fulfilled by any party in office, and they have clear end-goals: keep the domestic front prosperous and safe.
This—not a simple forgetful lack of specification—is why Shelter Island revoked its plans to attend the inauguration. These pervasive stereotypes and labels affect us all, sometimes even subconsciously. Align yourself with the Black Lives Matter movement, and you’ll be railed against because some of the protests featured obscene violence. Disclose that you are a Trump supporter and you’ll automatically transform into a “racist”—lumped together with members of the alt-right who spout insane, inappropriate comments. Support the ideas of feminism and you are dubbed a “feminazi”—automatically equated to radical feminists like Lena Dunham (who said she wishes she’d had an abortion at some point in her life so she could be a “better feminist”). Wear a hijab, and you risk being prejudged, thanks to the radical Islamic terrorism that has left many people terrified of Muslims. Say that the environment is in danger, and suddenly, you’re a hippie. And finally—initiate a successful political movement, run a campaign largely on your own money, and win the election through a process that has been in place since the founding of our nation, and be labeled a “fascist, racist, heteronormative, extreme, insensitive, illegitimate …show more content…
The divisions born from differing factions affect our nation in the most tragic way: they inhibit our government. I solemnly believe that everyone’s individual beliefs are valid, so long as they abide by the law and the Constitution. However, it is foolish to ignore a truth written in our nation’s very fabric: compromise leads to resolution. The issue with polarization, radicalization, and full alliance is that the opportunity to test your beliefs is radically diminished, meaning that your beliefs will never mature or change. A mature belief is one that has been tested, discussed, analyzed, and actively questioned. Much like bills, beliefs that are finally “set-in-law” are the ones that tip a hat to opposing views, tone down the rhetoric, and offer solutions that are—most of the time—moderate in nature. Unyielding divisions detrimentally affect our government by making compromise harder and harder to reach. What lasting changes were brought about by any one party? After an exhaustive eight years of Democrat dominance, the Obama administration’s prized trophy, Obamacare, was struck down in the first week of Trump’s presidency. Sure, parties have helped the economy in dire times. Sure, parties have guided wars. But these actions have to be fulfilled by any party in office, and they have clear end-goals: keep the domestic front prosperous and safe.