A large part of the college experience is meeting new people and pursuing personal growth. If students are afraid to form connections with peers because they have different backgrounds and identities that some see as negative or untrue, students risk stunting social development and failing to connect with others on campus.
In this past election cycle, some politicians directed the public’s feelings of anxiety and unrest toward certain marginalized groups, especially those of ethnic, racial and gender minorities. According to an article from CBS News, “Trump’s anti-immigrant, domestic ‘enemy’ rhetoric in focus in final stretch to Election Day,” President Donald Trump stated on several occasions “Our threat is from within” in regard to illegal immigrants in the U.S.
According to the same article, Trump has referred to such migrants as “animals” who have come to America to “prey upon innocent American citizens,” in attempt to paint immigrants in a negative light. Speaking of migrants in this way frames them as a threat to others and opens them up to discrimination.
In recent years, Kansas State has seen more of this specific brand of political activism. The Young Americans for Freedom organization has welcomed several conservative speakers to campus, most recently hosting Seth Gruber on Feb. 11. The live event can be viewed here. Gruber spoke out against abortion, the transgender movement, BLM, anti-white sentiments and critical race theory. Even when the spotlight is not on race and gender, they are frequently used as fuel to fight for other causes.
While addressing the issue of abortion, Gruber used evocative language to convey that opposition cannot be reasoned with. Anyone that denies life beginning at conception is “stupid, a cynic or a very, very evil person.”
If the opposition is stupid, they are unable to comprehend the seemingly correct argument. If they are a cynic, their ideas are unlikely to change, as they’re rooted within an intrinsic worldview. If they’re a very, very evil person, engaging with them should be avoided entirely.
This approach is hostile toward different perspectives. It will not win anyone over if they’re teetering on the border of two different arguments, nor will it persuade someone who outright disagrees. What it will do is instill fear into those who already share that perspective. If they seek to broaden others’ mindsets, they run the risk of being labeled as an enemy, the same sort they’d been encouraged to rally against.
Charlie Kirk, a conservative speaker, visited K-State last semester as a part of Turning Point USA’s “You’re Being Brainwashed” tour.
Just looking at the name, there’s an aggressive assertion that the target audience has been masterfully manipulated into their beliefs. Again, this does little to change anyone’s mind. Rather, it affirms the people who already agree and pushes away those who do not. Instead of running from other perspectives, we should try our best to embrace them. Even if no common ground can be found, and no connection sustained, we’ll be better informed about what it is we’re disagreeing with and why. In the face of fear, employ curiosity.