The nation is divided.  Political polarization has created a situation in which people only hear what they want to believe, creating echo chambers where liberal and conservative voices speak to themselves.  The result is that reality is being interpreted completely differently, ultimately distorting the truth and preventing progress.  As a citizen, it has become increasingly difficult to be accurately informed about national events.  Citizens’ perspectives are the bedrock of the policies that shape our country.  Without well-informed citizens we cannot depend on the mechanisms of government to pursue sound policies.  This is particularly important in light of the need for a safe and free election. Citizens on both ends of the political spectrum need to listen to each other respectfully in order to understand opinions and gain a more complete understanding of each other.  Only through a deliberate effort to listen and understand can we appreciate why we have different beliefs and to incorporate that understanding into our own beliefs.  If we can do this, we will be able to respond to one another more respectfully and effectively – together emerging from this crisis.  If we can’t, we are doomed to talk to ourselves as the foundation of our nation crumbles.

Some have argued that accusations of poll workers committing fraud should be taken down from the internet as to avoid the spread of false information. I disagree. This amounts to censorship whether enforced by private companies or the government.  We have a constitutional right to free speech, and taking these comments down would violate this right. This freedom was secured by the American people to prevent the government from abusing its power and to empower citizens to speak out about faults in our government, that is exactly what the people who have claimed that this election was fraudulent are doing.  If the government and social media companies are allowed to censor misinformation, a new problem arises: what is misinformation? If a person publishes an opinion that states they believe the president is bad, or that a certain piece of legislation is faulty, then who is to say that they are incorrect and should be censored for spreading ‘false’ information?  Censorship limits the people’s freedom of speech which poses a serious threat to our country’s foundational principles, and should not be allowed even if we disagree vehemently.

In order to increase positive interactions between people of opposing political parties in our town, we should engage in conversations with family members and friends who share different views.  If we build respectful relationships at a local level, we will hopefully be motivated to engage in these conversations with a wider range of people, eventually reaching the point where entire communities are enlightened with a new sense of understanding for people who think differently than they do. We do not need censorship, we need dialogue.

Note: Opinions expressed by the author are her own and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Bulldawg Bulletin or Haddonfield Memorial High School.