LETTER TO THE EDITOR: GUEST COLUMN
I wanted to reach out about a recent article published in The Advocate titled “The Ending of the Pandemic Year and its Great Political Dividing.” While I normally appreciate The Advocate and reading fellow student opinions, I was truly disappointed by this article.
I found it to be divisive in its language, and was surprised that it seemed to encourage disrespect, stating “It is humiliating to suggest that one must confront these opinions with actual respect.” I believe that we should stand up to injustice and inequality, and I also believe if we do not approach others’ beliefs with respect and curiosity, their minds will never change.
The article concluded by suggesting that polarization is helpful and necessary in solving societal issues, something that I find to be concerning considering polarization typically breeds violence and dehumanization.
Social scientist and author Brene Brown says it well: “Dehumanizing always starts with language. As we take sides, lose trust, and get angrier and angrier, we not only solidify an idea of our enemy, but also start to lose our ability to listen, communicate, and practice even a modicum of empathy.
Dehumanization has fueled innumerable acts of violence, human rights violations, war crimes, and genocides. It makes slavery, torture, and human trafficking possible. Dehumanizing others is the process by which we become accepting of violations against human nature, the human spirit, and, for many of us, violations against the central tenets of our faith.”
I genuinely understand that the pieces presented in The Advocate are meant to represent student opinions, however – it is also representing the values of MHCC as a college. As an institution of higher learning, I believe it is important to encourage respectful discourse no matter the topic or population. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and consider my feedback.
Respectfully,
Aaron Richardson
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