Lyle Topping, Staff Writer
“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” – John F. Kennedy
There has been a noticeably large sense of polarization amongst the American people within the past couple years, leading up to now. A constant news feed of blame shifting between political parties that would make your brain go numb. The sensible thing would be to try and find common ground, a common ground that would be used as the foundation to a new and prospering country. Let’s say that this idea of unity in politics is so crazy it just might work.
The first step in unifying is identifying, identifying what it is you are trying to bring together. On Daytona State’s campus there is no republican representation amongst the student body in the form of a club. Clifton Lamont Roby, the President of the DSC Students for Democratic Party, had this to say about getting a DSC Students for Republican Party “off the ground,” “Getting any student group off the ground will always require a following, dedication, and patience.”. He goes on to say, “The student life team here at Daytona State are very supportive of the student clubs and I would encourage any and all students interested in starting a student group reach out to them on the process.”
Next, we have to address the why. Why is having a form of republican representation even necessary? Dr. Pearl Galano, Associate Professor of Political Science at Daytona State, gives some valuable possible outcomes. “They can encourage civic engagement, conduct ‘get out the vote’ operations, increase voter registration (especially for younger people), and provide community service to non-profit organizations,” Galano said. As far as it being beneficial to the student, she said, “For members, they serve as a place for young people who are considering civic employment to meet with each other, and they often organize trips to state party conventions or even national conventions, providing valuable networking and career advancement opportunities.”
Polarization in politics is commonly known as the drastic divide of political parties. The more they divide, the less likely anything is to get done, leading to less and less middle ground getting met. While Dr. Galano “certainly understands the concern,” she also sees it as “an opportunity to decrease polarization.”
She believes that “part of a college education is about discussing different ideas and exploring controversial topics. We must be civil and adhere to the rules of the university when doing so, but I think a variety of voices can help us learn about each other and think in different ways, decreasing polarization.”
She introduces the idea of “multi-party representation on campus, as a number of other minority parties are registered with the state of Florida (Constitution Party of Florida, Ecology Party of Florida, Green Party of Florida Independent Party of Florida, Libertarian Party of Florida, Party for Socialism and Liberation- Florida, Reform Party of Florida).”
Even though the country does not solely depend on politics to decrease polarization, it is a major component. Politicians need to start finding common ground amongst themselves to have a better grasp of unity, which could only boost morale for a very divided nation. It starts with young people getting involved and sharing their voices and opinions, because we are the future of this country and need to be the change we want to see. We have the capability to break down the walls that separate the left and right, to meet on a more courteous and refined platform.