Disagreement should be respectful

In the wake of Congress’ passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, reports of members of the tea party movement inciting acts of violence against supporters of the legislation have surfaced.

Democrats are accusing the Republican Party of fanning the flames of hatred and domestic terrorism in an attempt to paint the entire tea party faction as a fringe movement.

This accusation, however, is a gross misrepresentation of what the movement is fundamentally about, with sweeping generalizations based on a few isolated incidents.

It is no secret that many members of the Republican Party receive shocking death threats; it is also undeniable that some people consider opponents of President Barack Obama to be racist and fundamentally prejudiced.

Despite my own identity being within the African American and Hispanic cultures, I have been called everything from a “snot-nosed rich kid” to names too profane to print. This isn’t to say that my racial heritage should give me an automatic exemption from being improperly labeled as being in favor of the status quo, but rather to point out that this debate is primarily based upon ideologies, not race.

I can emphatically say that in spite of the name-calling I have suffered, I have never returned such hateful rhetoric. For the sake of the argument and American values, I strive to emphasize my arguments and abstain from making threats and launching unproductive attacks on the personal character of others.

Instead of having my ideas listened to, I was immediately shut out and deemed to be a person against health care reform; worst of all, I was once accused of being un-American. It seems as if some people are unable to focus on real issues, as many continuously allege that Republicans are not concerned with minorities in regard to health care or any other social well being for that matter.

There is absolutely no way to determine whether any alleged tea party aggressors were actual conservatives or merely plants by political opponents in an attempt to smear the Republican Party, and the same can be said of everyone making threats against Republicans.

But no matter what one’s political affiliation may be, violence is never an acceptable form of political protest.

We must all treat each other with the utmost regard for safety. Let us not lose our dignity and respect in attempting to convince others to change their opinion.

Patrick Levy is a communication freshman and may be reached at [email protected]