The Park community prides itself in graciously accepting people of all religions, ethnicities and socio-economic statuses. While Park does an exceptional job of this, we are, shamefully, nowhere near accepting of all viewpoints.

It is unfair to categorize all Trump supporters as mean-spirited and racist. The amount of times I have heard my peers assume these qualities is absurd, and most of the time there is no context to backup this stereotype.

I do not support President Donald Trump in his position of power nor do I support most of the statements he has made, whether political or personal.

I am not defending Trump or his actions and words, but there is something to be said on behalf of Conservative voters nationwide.

Here’s a quick reminder: some small business families voted for President Donald Trump because they believed he would help them make a living for their children. There were Jewish families who voted for President Donald Trump because President Barack Obama and the Democratic party’s support for Israel was at best lukewarm, if not cold, as demonstrated by the abstention at the last U.N. vote before Obama left office.

Equivalently, countless people voted for President Donald Trump simply because they lost trust in Hillary Clinton.

Whether or not you believe these reasons are valid, being so quick to pass judgment on a voter for a decision they made is the opposite of progress. Students and staff must be able to disagree with someone’s political views in a civil manner, without automatically disrespecting and disregarding for their decisions.

The discourse in this country has become overwhelmingly divisive and the President, as our leader, must take some of the blame. Not only do we politically label and associate people with stereotypes without having an open-minded discussion, but our district fosters an environment where liberal views are imposed on students at every turn and conservatives are portrayed as the worst of all evils.

I don’t know if I associate myself as conservative or liberal. But as I continue to further my education and grow into my political opinions I hope to have the opportunity to explore both sides of the political spectrum, and no longer be afraid of people being too quick to judge where I stand.