There’s a new “divisive era” in politics that’s not just hitting America, but impacting the world. People are afraid to talk and act a certain way because of many drastic changes that are quickly making their way into the game. We college students are arguably the most important puzzle piece.

We’re the next generation. We’re growing older, graduating and becoming something. We’re finding ourselves and who we’re capable of being by those around us who allow us to show that potential.

Since President Trump took office, the political game has forced people to show who they are, and though “clumping” many people into one category will never suffice, it’s still a generally accepted way of expressing an idea of morality that we have created, and you can disgaree with me, but I argue that disagreeing is an ignorant perspective because it contradicts what’s going on around us. 

I believe that, in general, there are two large ideas that engulf the majority of Americans. If you haven’t already guessed, I’m referring to the ideas within the Republican and Democratic parties. More specifically, the liberals and the conservatives.

Whether it’s deemed unfortunate or not, what used to be a category one would fall under to represent their political agenda, the world has migrated into extremism, so, arguably, it seems as though the middle man does not exist and there is only far left and far right. Sure, this is my opinion, and yes, as I said, it is not possible to clump a ton of people into one category at the end of the day; we all think differently to some degree. But this idea of two large dominating agendas waving their arms to “pick me,” and “whose side are you on” is noticed by many, including those that refuse to believe it. The old way of America has passed, and a new, diversive one, is shoving its way in.

I’m not going to sit here and write about which “side” of the political spectrum is correct; that would be a waste of time. Instead, I want to touch on something I believe we are starting to see in today’s world.

As one grows older, they experience more and gain responsibility in more areas. Perhaps this is why, statistically, we see a pattern in conservatives dominating an older age. On the other hand, the younger “requires” more assistance. They are not able to do as much because of age, experience and money. They rely on their their parents or the government for money and other things to get by until they gain their own support system over time and able to “wipe their own ass,” so to speak. In other words, the younger generation tends to lean Left because all of the things mentioned above (like wanting government interference) falls on that side of the political spectrum, if you didn’t already know. 

There’s a famous quote, often miscoined by Winston Churchill, that is similar to, “If you aren’t a liberal at the age of 20, you have no heart. If you aren’t a conservative by the age of 40, you have no brain.” After seeing this quote, it got me thinking, and I result: The younger generation of liberals are more selfish than conservatives simply because they have to think more for themselves before they think of someone else’s needs. But hang on, if this is you, of course you’re not selfish. Right? I mean, you’re just looking out for yourself. America’s society, the new one, has taught us that we need to fend for ourselves and put ourselves first if we want to “succeed.” Let me clarify, I am not saying that liberals are selfish. What I am saying is that they are more selfish than conservatives because, for an example, the 22-year-old college student who lives on government funding needs to put themselves first in the scenario over a 42-year-old conservative who has, say, three kids to look out for. The older generation, in this specific scenario, does not have the luxury of living selfishly like young liberals do, because they must do all in their power to remain as unselfish as possible for others and their children.