Digging Deeper Into Our Political Beliefs

Within the next week, Americans will take to the polls and cast their votes for the country’s next president. Anticipation has been high across the country, and the atmosphere at Middlebury is no exception. One need only stop by Crossroads Café during one of the recent debates to appreciate the fact that many students here are passionate about the presidential election.

This election will mark the first time that many of us are able to vote, and student groups such as College Democrats and College Republicans — as well as student and faculty sponsored talks and forums — have done a great job keeping the election at the top of our minds.

While we applaud these efforts and the awareness that they have raised, we question whether Middlebury students have utilized these resources in the most beneficial way. Lectures and panels should serve as means for students to constructively engage in the political process and explore — and question — the choices we make. Our political beliefs should not be so deeply entrenched that they are impossible to change. After all, most students are no older than 22 — we are therefore too young to be so completely unwavering in our views.

We do not go to college, especially a liberal-arts college, simply to have our pre-existing opinions reinforced and confirmed. The purpose of our Middlebury education is not just to learn facts — it is to learn how to question both ourselves and others.  The presidential election is the perfect time for us to utilize this facet of the Middlebury education. Voting is important, but it is infinitely more so if your decision is the result of real deliberation and analytical evaluation.

Many of us vote for the same party as our parents. Others may vote for the party their parents abhor as an act of college rebellion. Some people may be pressured by Middlebury’s liberal-leaning student body to vote for Obama, while others may vote for a third-party candidate just to be different. But before casting your vote, we encourage you to question the reasons behind your decision. Are you truly voting for the person you think would make the best president of the United States, or is there another reason behind your decision?

At Middlebury, we are provided with resources and tools that make analytical decision-making possible. On-campus political organizations are one such tool. However, instead of just providing a venue for like-minded individuals to meet and discuss issues, groups such as College Democrats and College Republicans should promote discussion that crosses party lines. A debate between members of the two groups would be one way to facilitate such discussion. Additionally, it is important that such organizations not only educate on what specifically they stand for, but also that they explain the reasoning behind these beliefs.

Another resource here is our student body. Middlebury students come from all different backgrounds, practice different religions, study different subjects and care about different issues. Whereas in high school you may have only been exposed to the political views of your parents or from people from your same neighborhood, the same does not hold true at Middlebury. Therefore, we encourage you to discuss your beliefs with other students here — and not just students who have similar values or fall on the same end of the political spectrum. Whether these discussions reinforce your opinion or cause you to step back and question it, they ensure that you make your decision based on what you truly believe.

As college students, it is hard to know where exactly we fit in as voters in this presidential election. Do we vote in Vermont or for our home state? If we vote in our home state, why should we vote for local issues that likely will have little effect on us? Do we vote for seemingly minor local positions in our hometown if we know nothing about the candidates? Should we focus on social issues that may affect us more during our four years here, or economic issues such as unemployment that may confront us upon graduation? When are our absentee ballots due? And do our absentee votes even count?

It is hard to know the right answer to most of these questions — we on the editorial board certainly do not. But what you can and should be sure of is that, no matter whom you vote for, your decision is a reflection of careful deliberation and thinking. Knowing why you believe what you believe is just as important as believing anything at all.