In middle school, I developed the reputation of loud, angry, feminist. Political debates were more like opposing rants, polarizing and unproductive. Then I met my opposite, just as staunch in his views, which were inverse mine on the political spectrum: Harper Johnson. We sat together in freshman biology, and a few days of small talk led to frantically whispered political debates every class, a spectacle that our classmates still remember. Fodder for debate was never-ending; we could always find something to disagree on. As the semester’s end drew near, I realized a friendship had developed. We were both invigorated by politics, though we had different approaches. Recognizing how much we had in common, I considered the possibility of learning from our debates, instead of only striving to convince Harper of my views. When I started to truly listen, I gained more from those debates than I had in all my years of open-ended rants.
Though they have become more civil and friendly in nature, my debates with Harper have never ceased, and our stage has expanded. We’ve organized debates between the liberal club I lead, Girls Learn International, and the conservative club Harper leads, Young Americans for Freedom. Mirroring our friendship’s development, the debates have brought the clubs closer, fostering camaraderie and a mutual respect for each member’s right to their opinions. Harper taught me the value of genuine listening as the key to any political discourse, as it opens people to compromise and helps developing ideas incorporate new perspectives. Without giving everyone a voice in the debates of the world, we lose out on important and challenging perspectives that can drive us to consider our own views at a deeper level than before.
— By Meera Butalia
