I respect passion. I respect strong opinions, and I respect people who argue for what they believe in. What I cannot respect is those who believe so strongly in their views that they become blind to all other perspectives.

  Truthfully, there will always be some disadvantages to political outcomes, and it’s a sign of maturity to acknowledge that fact.

  One of the main information sources in this era of technology is Twitter.

  Social media is used as a platform for expressing opinions, which I encourage, but when people accept anything as fact, it results in a misled and misinformed society.

  In addition, those who use social media to only follow accounts of the same opinion as their own contribute to further ignorance and bias.

  The only way to come to an informed conclusion is to view both sides of an argument, which social media discourages.

  It is not typical for people to seek out opinions that oppose their own, unless the purpose is to refute them.

  Even those who are properly informed still need to have humility in recognizing the fact that each side of the political spectrum. As with anything on earth, political party views are sometimes flawed.

  I think humans have the tendency to cling to their parties so tightly that any insult against the Democratic or Republican party becomes a personal attack against them.

  This prevents people from being able to acknowledge faults within the realm of their party’s views, instead seeing it as a personal criticism.

  I tend to keep my political views to myself, not for fear of being ridiculed, but because I simply haven’t done enough research of both sides to reach my own opinion.

  I would rather admit I know nothing on a topic than make a statement for which I have no factual support.

  On those issues which I have explored, I do make an effort to always listen with an open mind to the opposing views.

  In many controversial issues, I’ve found I can’t agree with a Democratic or Republican opinion. I think that in many cases, a compromise will result in the best outcome.

  Listening to others and respecting their opinions is a basic human skill. If we teach children to respect other opinions, why do we find it OK to forget this rule of simple human kindness as soon as politics are brought into it?

  I have occasionally discussed politics with my friends, who range from far left to far right on the political spectrum. Our conversations are enlightening for me. Often, my friends who have opposing views will bring up points I haven’t even thought to consider.

  At the end of our discussions, we normally hold the same opinion as when we began, but I believe the experience is extremely beneficial.

 In other situations, however, I’ve witnessed many people disregard facts or evidence purely because it doesn’t support their personal bias.

  I don’t believe that one extreme side of politics can always be right. There needs to be a healthy balance of Liberal and Conservative in order to reach realistic solutions.

  Moderation is essential in everything, especially political issues. Radicalism, as shown in history, can be detrimental to a country’s entire foundation. I believe it’s balance that will make our government strong. Politics aren’t black and white.