Dear Julia,

On Wednesday my Rose Scholar event was a group discussion led by Professor Peter Enns on the American political discourse. We discussed the President’s Muslim ban, his Supreme Court appointment of Neil Gorsuch, his cabinet appointments of controversial figures like Betsy Devos and Jeff Sessions (both of whom Kate McKinnon has done a great job satirizing on SNL recently). For most of the hour though, we discussed the role of information, media, and the news in our political discourse, and the effect this has on our ability to communicate with people we don’t agree with. One person asked Professor Enns if liberals have become too proud and egotistical–aristocratic even–about their value scheme. This is a topic you and I have also discussed. It’s hard. For me being a liberal has always generally meant having enough empathy for other people to care about their well-being. Meanwhile (and I apologize in advance for the hyperbole here) conservatism and libertarianism to me are more centered around a fuck you, I got mine type of philosophy. In other worlds: life is something to be shared vs something to be earned. With that in mind it’s hard to think about seeing eye to eye with a person who I feel fundamentally misunderstands the human condition. I agree with Professor Enns that the political polarization we face today needs to change, though. So I guess that means I’ll need to put aside my moralism a little more (even though I’m definitely right about everything) when we talk to people who are a little more outside our political wheelhouse.

Love,

Rob