My Generation Must Rebuild Civility in a Divided Society
A library civics night turned into a partisan flashpoint, prompting a high‑school senior to call for structured disagreement in schools.
When a Civics Night Became a Partisan Rally
At a Wednesday evening event in a town library, retirees, parents, middle‑ and high‑school students, and a few college students gathered for a nonpartisan discussion about representatives, ballot design, and the importance of voting. The conversation shifted to ballot translation, noting that the New Jersey county offers ballots only in English and Spanish despite a multilingual population.
A history professor from a nearby university rose and declared, “Republicans are out to get us. We must fight back!” The statement was met with applause and cheers from her students. The moment felt like a partisan rally, though the author remained silent, aware that the issue of language on ballots is governed by Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act and state and county decisions—not a partisan scheme.
Personal Reflection on a Divided Landscape
The author, a high‑school senior from South Orange, describes growing up in a reliably liberal town where one political narrative dominated. A semester at the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C., exposed the author to a broader range of viewpoints, prompting a shift from certainty to a belief that respectful cross‑aisle argument must be cultivated.
The Rise of Affective Polarization
Most Americans now say the country is deeply divided politically, and large portions of both Republicans and Democrats view the opposite party as more immoral than other Americans. Political scientists label this “affective polarization,” where disagreement turns into moral condemnation, moving debate from policy to character.
Consequences for Young People
College students report self‑censoring rather than expressing true opinions, and campus tolerance for both left‑ and right‑wing speakers has hit a five‑year low in 2026. Social‑media feeds that echo existing beliefs and brief content lacking nuance exacerbate the problem.
Why Schools Matter
The author recalls a kindergarten lesson that taught listening to others and considering their feelings, fostering a sense of community over us versus them. Many teachers now avoid political topics for fear of backlash, leaving a gap that schools could fill.
Proposed Educational Strategies
Regular Structured Disagreement: Make civil debate a routine part of civics curricula rather than a single‑time unit.
Argument from Opposing Views: Require students to argue positions they do not hold and grade them on accurately summarizing the other side.
Teacher Training: Equip educators to facilitate difficult conversations instead of steering clear of them.
Action Within the School District
As a student representative on the district’s board of education, the author is discussing with administrators how to better prepare teachers to encourage openness to opposing viewpoints.
Learning from the SEGL Program
At the School for Ethics and Global Leadership, participants initially felt uneasy hearing perspectives their communities labeled immoral. Over time, they recognized that listening does not equal losing; it forces confrontation with unfamiliar arguments and either strengthens convictions or opens the door to change.
Personal Outreach and Dialogue
The author emailed the professor who made the partisan proclamation; they met for coffee and exchanged views on public discourse, nonpartisan education, and moral judgment. Neither “won” the argument, but they connected through mutual willingness to listen.
Call to Action for the Generation
Students must seek out conversations with those they disagree with, read writers with different perspectives, and stay engaged when controversial topics arise in class. These encounters, the author argues, will not arrive automatically through friends or social feeds.
