In lieu of recent controversial campus events, I find it necessary that we – as Dickinsonians – take a step back and consider what can be learned from some of these experiences. Undoubtedly, we live in an America that has become increasingly polar over the last decade or so. The division of our country did not occur over night, but rather has been something building up over several years. This divisiveness is something that many generations have completely failed at attempting to correct.

As members of the Dickinson community we strive to be inclusive of all perspectives regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender. Additionally, we are a campus that supports the equality of expression of all people, from all walks of life. However, despite these widely accepted community standards, at times every semester we are faced with situations that bring these values into question. It is when these types of events transpire on campus that I begin to notice an enlightening trend: when we as a community are faced with challenges, we often times meet these challenges with more hate and divisiveness. Does this not seem counterproductive? With any issue, two sides immediately appear and we are quick to move towards one end of the matter or the other. This once again furthers the problem that America has faced for centuries by driving the polarization of this community and of this country.

While this is certainly one of the hardest challenges we face as a society, it is not one that is unsolvable. It is evident that we must strive to put aside all forms of hateful and radical ideologies and beliefs if we are to solve the problem of stark polarization. One is not going to influence the opinion of another when both parties are stuck on complete opposite ends of the spectrum. The limit to what we can achieve is endless if we work hard to respectfully convey and listen to each other’s rightful opinions; that is how compromise and success is achieved. 

On the other hand, the continuous expression of divisive rhetoric accomplishes nothing and is a sign of complete ignorance. Young Americans like ourselves control the destiny of this country. As Dickinsonians, as Americans, will we be the generation to alleviate the polarization of this country, or rather will we contribute to its sharp division? While the better choice seems obvious, we will not succeed unless our words begin to match our actions.