“You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“No! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“That is the president of the United States that you’re talking about! Watch it!”

“He is a liar!”

High school is a time when many students develop political views, which is often seen as a good thing. However, not everyone has the same exact views which can lead to many families and friends getting into heated political discussions.

What Political Party Do You Align With?

Students align with different political parties for various reasons. Junior Soo-yung Navarro said, “I consider myself a Democrat because I really agree with their liberal views.”

Sophomore Moises Zeleya aligns with the Republican party because “I believe in the success of this country’s economy. The Republican party promotes that, and I agree on what President Trump vocalizes about immigration,” he said.

Junior Thais Maradiaga considers herself independent yet would vote Democratic because she sees the Democratic party as more centrist and agrees more with their policies regarding climate change and abortion.

On the other hand, independent junior Marie Ojeda sides with what’s right regardless of the party. “To think you must side with one party always may not be the most positive way to help and grow our country,” she said.

Sophomore Kayla Camejo, who also considers herself independent, said, “I believe the Democratic and Republican parties both have things that can improve problems that we have in our country if they worked together.”

 

Junior Melissa Magalhaes said, “I disagree with my sister a lot since she is an immigrant and so is all our family, yet she still supports Trump even though he hasn’t done anything that benefits immigrant families, specially those that are undocumented.”

When Family and Friends Might Disagree

     Students that align with a certain party may not always have families or friends with the same views as theirs. Thais Maradiaga said, “Most of my friends and family are either Democrats or independents. Despite that, my mom did vote Republican in the last gubernatorial election.”

Though Soo-yung Navarro’s friends are Democrats, her mom and older family members have different views on issues than she does.

A female sophomore that chose to stay anonymous said, “My family does not align with any political party because although they live here, they are not able to vote, thus their opinion wouldn’t affect the outcome. I choose my friends depending on their views on my situation. For the most part, I believe they agree with my point of view and respect that, meaning that they also lean towards the Democratic side.”

Political Topics to Disagree On

     With many political issues, students often conflict with their families and friends. Junior Tomy Castillo said he disagrees a lot with his mom, mostly on her stance of abortion because of him being pro-choice while his mom is pro-life.

Junior Melissa Magalhaes said, “I disagree with my sister a lot since she is an immigrant and so is all our family, yet she still supports Trump even though he hasn’t done anything that benefits immigrant families, specially those that are undocumented.”

Thais Maradiaga disagrees with some of her classmates about the immigration system. “Many of them like to condemn people who migrate ‘illegally’ without considering the push factors in their home countries, and also how hard it is to legally enter the U.S. Some people can’t afford to go through months/years of interviews and barrages of fees only to get denied if an urgent situation is pushing them out. Also, the Trump administration’s treatment of asylum seekers at the southern border has violated both national and international law. The only crisis is how they’re treating families and children— they’ve literally lost thousands of kids while retaining them. People don’t account for this when they say the Trump administration is doing a great job at handling the ‘border crisis’,” she said.

Junior Marie Ojeda said, “I might have very strong views, but I’m always interested in someone else’s perspective. At the end of the day we can agree to disagree. We could hear each other out as long as it stays respectful and I don’t feel like I’m being talked down upon.”

Keeping the Peace

When there is a heated political discussion, a lot of students know how to handle the issue between their family or friends. Sophomore Shayla Garcia said, “I at least try to convince the person about my views while trying to understand their views and why they think the way they do.”

Senior Johnathan Rodriguez said, “I simply listen to others to reach middle ground so we see where one another is coming from.”

Marie Ojeda said she tries to have proactive discussions. “I might have very strong views, but I’m always interested in someone else’s perspective. At the end of the day we can agree to disagree. We could hear each other out as long as it stays respectful and I don’t feel like I’m being talked down upon,” she said.