I am not a conservative by any means whatsoever. However, I can honestly comment that a many of my beliefs and ideals fall in line with Republican ideals. Most politicians – democrat and republican alike – have very similar agendas, at least behind closed doors. While the media may create the illusion that our democracy is contingent on three issues – abortion, civil, and gun rights – that simply isn’t true.

Last week, I sat with a group of students as we discussed the tensions looming since the election of Donald Trump to the highest of office of all the land – President of the United States (its still hard to believe…). While the majority of  the conversation was grounded in the role of judicial courts and branches in curtailing the reach of the presidency,  I posed the question: how do we begin to engage in conversations with people who respect and admire the current administration with admonishing their character and political views?

And I didn’t realize this at the moment, but this question was very hard for people to answer. It seemed to have thrown people off. Was the purpose of this conversation to sit around vent? Or was it to come together to find solutions in the current government that we have? I have been blessed in my life to have only engaged in thoughtful and compelling arguments with Republicans. To this day, I have yet to really meet a Republican who couldn’t justify or support their opinions. While this may not be the case in media, it the truth in my life.

Apparently for some, this isn’t the case. And to some extent some people don’t even want to talk with Republicans because they find them incompetent. A student in the discussion was even so bold to say that that Republicans tend to not have as high educational degrees. Implying that our intelligence is intrinsically linked to our educational degrees.This very sentient is what is driving a wedge between two parties and ideologies that should be working together. While the fact maybe true of Republicans, it is also true that many segments of the Democrat’s base is in extreme poverty and uneducated, as well. But that doesn’t mean we refrain from talking with fractions who don’t meet our Ivy League degrees.

Which brings me this final question: How can we even begin to engage in conversations with other people when we automatically assume they are stupid?

The answer: we can’t. For honest conversations to occur, for policy to change and for lives to be dignified, we must always assume the best intentions of those we are talking to. For those that struggle with this, I hope you take the time to understand that you are an impediment to public discourse and political change.