Unity in Diversity
As tensions rise in America Bearcats use their voice to unite the nation
by Calynn Long, Reporter & Brighton Garrett, Pop Culture Editor
In a divided American society the young generation is making their voices heard. They are not muted when it comes to controversial topics. They provide their voice whether it be asked for or not. This may divide America more into stronger polarized opinions. Yet, listening to what the generation and opposite sides say may have a stronger effect in uniting than dividing.
Even in the blur of opinions there is one underlying belief: we are all American. Being an American is not about what political side you are, economic status you have, sexual orientation you follow, religion you practice. Instead it is having the option to follow your own life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness without governmental restrictions.
Controversial topics have fractured us over race, femisinsm, LGBTQ rights, gun laws, immigration, and economics. Our president plays a huge factor in this. His new approach to things is either very liked or disliked and there is no middle ground.
Americans need to get past who our president is and focus on being one country. We may seem broken but we are one of the most desirable countries in the world. America is so fortunate in its freedoms, utilities, and resources and it is taken for granted. America’s advancement and place in the world has been forgotten as we focus on the negative issues in our country. We forget how great America really is. Even if it needs work, it is our country that we, the young generation, live in and are shaping.
The American dream is something that is always tossed around and yet no one really ever defines it. We asked Bearcats their opinion on it, but they were only given five minutes to answer a question most of us can not answer in a lifetime. The American dream was built as our founding fathers declared this land for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It still holds true even in our diversified culture. Being an American means having the privilege to live the life you want without restrictions. It is to help the neighbor in need, be grateful for what you have, say what you want to say, and be proud to be an American. Everyone has a dream and that unites us.
Yes, there are issues we need to solve and reach a common ground on but they are not what defines us. We need to celebrate the accomplishments we have made: focus on the positive in our country and slight the negative. There has to be compromise, tolerance, and respect or else we will just tear eachother apart losing all the good we have. In the political spectrum the sides are so polarized and adamant on their opinion that they forget to listen to suggestions and new viewpoints.
We do this in schools too. We deny listening when it is something we don’t want to hear rather than being mature and respecting opinions. This mirrors politics because when one side speaks the other turns their head and is not willing to compromise. No one idea or solution is wrong, just different. It is an opinion and just because it is not shared does not mean the opinion is invalid. In America, everyone has the freedom to think what they want and we remove this freedom when we bash people for their beliefs.
What it means to be an American can be defined in a multitude of ways for every Bearcat on campus. As you will see, in this upcoming section, we interviewed seven Bearcats trying to uncover part of what it means to be an American to the diverse group of people we have on campus. Asking questions like, what it means to be an American to them, how our country is divided, and how we can unite our country shows us the split in opinions. Looking through the responses there was a common theme, we as a campus need to have basic respect for our fellow peers to truly understand our cultures. PRHS, we as a campus need to unite in the midst of our diversity.
Gridlocked America
Tensions in America have grown due to politics causing division in our country
by Calynn Long, Reporter & Brighton Garrett, Pop Culture Editor
Marking over a year since President, Donald J. Trump’s, election, Americans are still deeply divided by mistrust and misunderstanding. One American is rejoicing, while another grieves in disbelief. It seems like ever since Jan. 20, 2017 walls for borders, active shootings, immigration crackdowns, and financial upheaval have been prominent issues. America is constantly protesting or battling on Twitter and other forums on whose views are more acceptable. A Washington Post-University of Maryland survey that was conducted nine months into the new administration of Trump found that seven out of ten Americans believe the country has not been this divided since the Vietnam War.
“One year after Donald Trump’s election victory, it’s not unusual to hear people wonder out loud if the United States is really one country anymore,” said Livia Gershon from History, in 2017.
With Trump’s triumph in the presidential election being the breaking point for American parties, unification has been disastrous. America is not just divided on who their president is and whether or not they like him, but issues concerning human rights, gun tolerance, government positioning, immigration policies, and gender and sexuality equality.
With high school students being the upcoming generation of voters their opinion is valued. Bearcat discussions in and out of the classroom reflect the level of intolerance and partisanship found across America.
“I feel like the US is divided politically. There’s so many political issues that are going on, and so many people are heated and going at each other. Different religions and beliefs are going head to head and there’s so much conflict. Even at our school it’s hard because we have to censor everything we say and who it affects,” junior Paige Autry said.
Partisanship in America stems from three major parties that seem to make up politics in America: 36 percent of Americans identify as conservative, 25 percent liberal, and 34 percent identify with neither. With these polarized sides deciding conclusions America is being divided more and more on issues rather than compromising and uniting as a country.
Even in the height of disasters such as school shootings and hurricanes, Americans are debating on politics and laws to fix issues rather than uniting as a country on solving the issues rooted in American events.
“I think that we could unify our nation more if we focused on the things that unite us: those things being common grounds for all the issues whether they be guns or just about loving the country. Really respect is something key and if we don’t have mutual respect than our country is going to keep spiraling downward,” freshman Declan Higgins said.
In the height of disagreements, Russia continues to whip up disagreement with social media bots that troll and debate focusing on the 2016 presidential election and now stirring up controversial topics like the Parkland, Florida shooting and immigration issues. The bot’s purpose is to get an uproar in Americans emotions in comments and articles on all different social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
“You are witnessing the single greatest witch hunt in American political history - led by some very bad and conflicted people,” said Trump averaging 2,461 tweets a year.
Americans are trying to find a common ground in politics and opinions, but battling sides make it difficult.
“Just going out everyday and just trying to be the best that you can be, and not letting anything hold you back or deferring you from doing what you want to do,” Autry said when discussing what patriotism means in her life.
People nowadays have been desensitized to others’ feelings or beliefs on matters that are very important to them.
“Just listening to each other [would unify us more]. You don’t have to agree or change your opinion, but as long as you listen and you can say ‘ok you presented a good argument but I’m still going to stick with mine’. Just be civil and listen to people,” senior Goretti Calvo said.
Due to polarized views bearcats continue to question their freedoms in and out of the classroom.
“My freedoms get limited when people question our right to protest the media’s legitimacy. There are few things that would end our country’s freedoms faster than limiting their abilities to make their opinions heard,” sophomore Ian Grace said.
This problem is more than just politics it is the way people follow blindly and bash every other beliefs without knowing the facts.
“I wonder if the biased media realizes what they are doing long term, by reporting fake news and not reporting the truth? Do they even care? This affects their kids and grandkids down the road, by not being honest with themselves or Americans. Pathetic,” anonymous twitter user rants.
Content can be relayed among users with no significant filtering, fact-checking, or editorial judgment. An individual user with no track record or reputation can in some cases reach as many readers as Fox News, CNN, or the New York Times.
“I feel that a way our country could unify together is getting past the fact that our president is different and kind of focusing on all the good things he’s doing. A lot of the people tend to focus on just the bad and they’re forgetting that he isn’t here to hurt us. He is here to help us get better,” freshman Jillian Root said.
No matter what you believe on this gridlocked system that is called America, it is important to be mindful that there is more than one way of thinking and then maybe our country can start to be understanding. Until basic human respect is restored a divided nation will continue to linger.
What does it mean to be an American?
We asked seven Bearcats what being an American means to them
“It means putting an effort in to being involved in your country and being surrounded by all those people who helped raise you like teachers and those who are around you.” -Itzel Lopez Jaimes
“To be an American for me means to be an active participant in our democracy and vote for your opinion. The least American thing is to withdraw hope and care for the system we live in.” -Ian Grace
“Being American means that we’re an amazing country where we have these rights that allow us to be what we want to be and pursue what we want to pursue, and not that everything is necessarily handed to us, but that we have to work for it.” -Paige Autry
“To understand that America isn’t like the be all end all of countries. Just love your country as it is, but work towards improving it. Being an American isn’t just one single thing, and there are many different types of Americans. Just keep an open mind as to what being an American actually is.”-Goretti Calvo
“I feel like being an American really is about how America represents freedom and liberty in the world and we all know that America is not a perfect place but no place in the world is, and I think it’s as good as we can get it now and if we keep striving to improve then we’ll do better as a country.” -Declan Higgins
“For me, being an American carries a great deal of responsibility [to] vote and participate...for the sake of our nation and its people...this responsibility comes not only because our nation wields a tremendous degree of international influence and...sets trends for the entire world, but also because we in this country pride ourselves in the philosophy of representative government by the people.” -Gavin Hughes
'My freedom / identity gets limited when other people are ignorant to diversity, when other people are, reluctant to unity in diversity, and when they are afraid of being put face to face with diversity. Freedom of expression easily targets you when you’re speaking out against the norms." - Janice Palacios
Credits:
Photos by Camden Tucker