_Regan Huston is a freshman journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist that writes about student politics for The Maneater._
When does loyalty cross a line and start to create damage? Sometimes it’s easy to fall into the pit of only supporting one thing and letting your personal bias craft your opinions for you, but in this presidential election, we cannot allow our own biases to manipulate us.
Throughout the process of this presidential election, I have talked to many people that were torn between Clinton and Trump. Both candidates have their fair share of scandal. From deleted emails to sexual assault allegations, neither candidate can be labeled as perfect for the job. However, that does not mean that citizens should not take this election and political issues seriously.
The first column I ever wrote for _The Maneater_ was about how student awareness of student politics at MU can help them fulfill their civic duty nationally. We learn that our preconceived notions should not make us deem every single action of our student government as subjectively good or bad. Independent analysis of each bill or student program introduced is needed for us to build an opinion, and this is something we should carry on to a national scale.
Sure, some national issues may be more controversial than those we see on campus, but that does not mean our process for analyzing such issues should be any different. Yes, it’s easy to look at Clinton and Trump and just label ourselves purely as democratic or republican, but that isn’t what’s right. Each issue is unique and significant by itself and should be treated as such, rather than blanketed as just political jargon.
Regardless of what political party you find yourself aligned with, neither one should have the power to manipulate a voter into abandoning any views that may differ. It’s perfectly fine to find yourself straddled between democratic and republican beliefs, as long as you are able to independently define what your values are. For example, supporting pro-life policies does not bind you to supporting other republican ideas. It does not prevent you from expanding your knowledge on democratic ideas, maybe ones that have to do with economics or foreign policy. Putting a value to what issues are significant to you is a personal decision that is based off of your own experience, not the agenda of a party.
Election times are important because it is a chance for us, the future voices of our country, to implement our greatest values. Do research and understand that not every issue is as black and white as political parties tend to portray them. You are an individual and so are the issues in this election, so give yourself the chance to explore your options and stay informed about what is at stake.
