I wish Mormons weren’t afraid of talking about politics. We’re so afraid of offending someone, we steer clear of anything that might be considered political. Health care? Taboo. It’s political. Feminism? Absolutely not. It’s controversial. Iraq War? Only if you want to be exiled from good society.
I love talking about politics. You’re thinking: Of course, she’s a political science student. Yes, that’s true. But I hate arguing. I will never raise my voice in a discussion about politics. I will never play the devil’s advocate. I will never argue for the sake of arguing. I will listen to your opinions. I will try to understand. I will try to learn about you as a person and why you think different policies are good or bad.
Politics is not religion. You can have a lively, educated debate without offending or making fun of a person’s beliefs. Have you ever tried to persuade a friend to try a new diet or exercise plan with you? You’re excited to share what you’ve found and you want them to have the benefits too – because it will be good for them! Don’t you think we can be civilized humans and talk about what we think will be good for our country without yelling about it?
I’m tired of people trying to “save” me from an educated political conversation. Tonight I had a lively after-dinner political discussion with a few friends in the BYU London Centre. We were enjoying ourselves. I was learning about feminism and socialized medicine and liberal fiscal policy and capitalism. When I saw people leaving, I almost stopped. I could tell they were uncomfortable, even disgusted, with the political conversation. But I felt like it wasn’t inappropriate. It wasn’t offensive. It was a very open debate. So we continued. A couple times, people even came in and, thinking they were doing everyone a favor, would say something like, “Ok, is this really important?” or “Oh let’s all talk about something else. How do you like my new shoes?” We’d then explain that this was not an argument and we were enjoying ourselves
If you’re going to make a campaign speech, maybe the dinner table isn’t the best place to do it. If all you want is to proclaim your opinion in a loud voice, then find a barn. But if you’re going to be courteous and open and accepting of other views, in other words, acting like a civilized person, then why not? Seriously, why not?
