I started on the West Press team for one reason: to write politics. As a member of the West Press for nearly three years now, I have consistently published the current political news of the day. Added to that, I have also published my opinions, often drawing the attention of those who opposed those opinions. When I first started, I recall just one article on the West Press that was political. It had been a liberal opinion bashing Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, on what critics had called the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill. Reading the article, the bias was as evident as the typos and choppy sentences. On top of the need, I felt, for a conservative presence to contribute, there needed to be a complete overhaul of professionalism in the West Press. I have since been afforded the privilege to see both of those happen.
What I wanted to do was give some closing thoughts as this will be my last article, article No. 43. In that spirit, I’ll start with a good quote from our 43rd President, George W. Bush. President Bush once said, “Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos.” In writing and editing a great many articles in my time, I have always appealed to civility to keep me from sounding off on an article I disagreed with. In the same way, I’m sure others have felt the same way when reading my articles. Different ideas, different backgrounds, and various ways of thinking are what you witness from our journalism team that has written over the past three years. That difference can often be frustrating, but that difference is also a source of strength. See, the thing that makes the West Press wonderful though, is that you, the readers, get to see all of these opinions. The West Press is a melting pot of culture; religious convictions, political ideals, and especially your more lighthearted opinions like someone’s favorite season or holiday. What is important is that they are there. They are accessible. There are your rural versus suburban voices, your hot versus cold, summer versus fall, and there are conservative voices just as much as there are liberal voices. Over these past three years, you’ve gotten both on the West Press.
I have always been proud of the conservative perspective I brought as a journalist. But I would miss out if I had not also been impressed with the opposition. There are a great many talented journalists and leaders whom I disagree with ideologically. They are good people who I am sure will succeed in whatever they do. And if what they choose to do is politics, then I urge you to look past the ‘R’ or ‘D’ next to their name. Whether I have written that President Biden was an incompetent Commander-in-Chief, leading this nation down a terrible path, or whether my peers have likened President Trump to authoritarian leaders, I want to impress upon you to recognize that both opinions come from a common belief: America is a great nation and we ought to make her successful. Obviously, a Republican and a Democrat will disagree on how that path should be taken, but ultimately, most of your peers want to see this country succeed and just disagree on that definition of success and how it’s achieved.
Breaking it down, Republicans believe that limited government, in every regard, is the way to go. Deregulation allows businesses to succeed, and when businesses grow, more jobs are created, and families can put food on the table. They believe that small government means people can pursue life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness without the federal government in every crack and crevice of our lives. Conservatives believe that the needs of America, the concerns of its citizens, should be taken care of first before any other nation’s. They believe in school choice, they believe that people kill people and guns in the hands of good guys deter violence from bad guys with guns, they believe that we can’t support millions of undocumented immigrants or that our border can’t be an open door to violent criminals, terrorists, or drugs being brought over. And they believe that life begins at conception – that the worth of a baby is not determined by its conception – and it has just as much of a right to life. Republicans want to see families succeed, our country succeed, and, as stated before, simply disagree on how to do it. Republicans, contrary to what mainstream media may say, care deeply about people.
On the other side of the aisle, Liberal policies favor welfare and helping the poor in a way they see appropriate. It, historically, favors social movements such as LGBTQ rights and DEI/Affirmative Action-like programs. Additionally, a liberal perspective will place a heavy emphasis on protecting the environment. Now, I disagree with a lot of that, I think people need jobs, not handouts. I believe that same-sex unions should remain legal, however, the state should not force a priest or pastor to perform the union, and I disagree with the approach to protecting the environment that liberals may have. While I disagree, it’s important to recognize that all those liberal aligning beliefs stem from a deep compassion for people. A deep compassion for people that wants to see them do well. A compassion that reaches out to the poor and wants to alleviate their state of poverty. A helping hand that recognizes the historical truths that minorities in this country have been put at a disadvantage many times, and reaches out to right some wrongs that they perceive still exist. In short, Democrats care about people too.
I conclude with this: Democrats and Republicans bleed the same blood. When the Pledge of Allegiance is given, it is said we are One Nation Under God. In the Star-Spangled Banner, it is sung that we are the land of the brave and the home of the free. America is a great nation, we are a great people. We have led the world in every field, from the skies to outer space. We were the first on the moon in the last century, and perhaps the first to Mars in this one. The only limits Americans have are the ones they put on themselves. Division is one of those limits. Division is something we create, not something natural. We all come out into this world by ourselves, and we’ll leave this world by ourselves. But that doesn’t mean we should live by ourselves. I would be mistaken if I did not refer to my Christian belief, as said in the gospel of Matthew, that that which we do for the least of these we do also for Christ. Serve others, even those that you disagree with, or even those you might not normally be inclined to be around. That’s what makes leaders, and that’s the kind of action that makes us realize that division is a choice. We have more reasons to care for and serve each other than to yell at, fight, or divide our fellow Americans. So, to you, as a student, teacher, or whoever, find that commonality, foster relationships, and build bridges. Best of luck in whatever your future endeavors are. This is Ben Nguyen signing off.
