Politics as a matter of personal beliefs

As we get closer and closer to the election, it seems that nerves have become more and more frayed. I have found myself asking the question, “Why is it that politics and this election seem to rouse anger and hatred in people?” I see Democrats and Republicans going after each other in very undignified and degrading ways. One example is how the political parties use the media, specifically TV ads, to attack not merely the issues, but more so to attack the person. Slander seems to be the name of the game as we get nearer to Election Day. A little closer to home is the heated encounters between the campus Democrats and Republicans. It seems impossible to have inter-party discussions anymore. This election is even starting to divide some friendships. So what is the cause of such division? To me it seems to be mostly a matter of personal beliefs. After reading several articles on the current division of our country over this election, it looks like most voters are voting by issues rather than traditional platforms. This begs the question, “What issues do you stand behind?” I am saddened by the tactics used by people to attack the opposing view. The tactic I see most commonly employed is to throw statistics at people. After taking a statistics class here at St Thomas, I have learned to be wary of the data/numbers, as well as the presentation of them. It is extremely easy to manipulate data to get the result you want. This tactic preys on the ignorance of people, with the intention to deceive. Of course many of the people I know who use these tactics are themselves deceived because they “were once ignorant until they were shown the truth.” I say they are deceived because many of these people to whom I refer have failed to look into the data for themselves. So I myself have been challenged to take my own words to heart and look into the data. As I have I find that I am constantly surprised by how much misrepresentation is taking place. So without the statistics, what issues do I stand behind? The question for me comes down to personal beliefs and moral convictions. I believe we are all seeking for the truth; but the truth we seek seems to be vastly different. I myself stand behind what the Catholic Church says in the hope that I am not being misled, while some of my friends do not agree with the Catholic Church. Because of my moral convictions as a Catholic, my vote is obvious. So when we challenge others’ political choice, it seems that we are challenging their moral convictions. I believe this is the source of our division and anger.