When asked about the how the U.S. President could heal a divided country and bring people together following the November election, middle school students took on the challenge. As you might expect, sixth, seventh and eighth graders gave the best answers.
Kylie Beatty Tully, sitxth grader at Ashbrook School said “The divide is a colossal problem. It is not, however, an unsolvable one. People who are on separate sides of the divide often just shout at each other, never really hearing what the other person has to say. A big example of this is the recent presidential debates. If people could just listen to the other side, the reasons behind their thinking might reveal a common goal. In the debates, Clinton and Trump just shouted at each other, never letting the other speak or express their opinions.”
Max Solensky, seventh grader at Franklin School said “Despite differences, opposing sides have “common” goals, such as improving our infrastructure or healthcare, and reducing national debt. Finding common goals allows compromise to be reached.”
Seventh-grader Olivia Remcho of Linus Pauling Middle School said “It is okay to be scared in this time of change, and it is okay to not understand other individuals, but when people do not communicate with one another and are not well informed, it becomes too easy to discriminate.”
Lena Baker-Blease, eighth grader at Ashbrook School shared: “If I were president, my first priority would be to discourage stereotypes, and for me personally I would focus on gender…To heal the divide, and finally get it right, we must rip off the labels. In the words of Winston Churchhill.” She quoted Winston Churchill saying “You can always count on the Americans to get it right, after they have tried everything else.”
Eighth-grader Elise Faux of Ashbrook School asked the challenging questions: “The 2017 US presidential election has caused a divide in our nation separating race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, and culture. Protests against travel bans and in support of women’s dignity have caused chaos in our society. With political pundits spewing out “alternative facts” about political figures and movements, we Americans have developed a default mode of suspicion. With the divide, have we lost the inherent strength that comes from unification? If so, how do we mend our open wounds?”
Thank you Rotarians Tiffany Bailey, Stephanie Douglas, Andy Tucknott and Locke Williams for your efforts on this event. Thanks you parents, teacher, and principals of shaping your youth and allowing them to excel.
