Can we bring our divided country together?
I feel like there’s no immediate way—or even a feasible way—to do that. People at my school argue over minutiae and tiny little differences of opinion. Honestly, when the country unites, it’s because of some sort of terrible hardship. In that case it’s not necessarily a good thing.
— Zion Silveyra, 20, Computer Engineering Student, UCSC
A lot of economic and social factors are causing everyone to be so polarized. I feel like global tensions are super high now, contributing to U.S. tension, and it’s hard to change that. UCSC is pretty left-leaning, so I’d say there’s more arguments between left-leaning people than right vs left.
— Tori Cooper, 20, Computer Science Student, UCSC
I wish I had hope, but I feel people are too far down their rabbit holes and their news bubble and you can’t pull them out. I have friends that are not like-minded and we just don’t talk about it. We play tennis and have a book club and we’ve agreed not to talk about it. It was bad when we did.
— Marisa Oriaku (right), 59, Chemist
In the next election in 2028, I believe that both the Democratic and Republican parties should strive to find candidates that people can have faith in. This one’s done, I think, this close to the election, I don’t see how they can replace Biden and have any prayer of winning. He’s done a good job but it’s not his fault that he’s an old man. This thing with Trump will simply make his supporters more fervent.
— Steve Edlen, 72, IT Consultant
People have to really listen to other people, across the board. Everybody’s completely polarized and there’s no give. Even though I’m not a Trump supporter, I got slammed for saying I could understand why some people would vote for him. It used to be that you got a balanced picture, but now people source out the news and the opinions they want to agree with.
— Jeanne Samuels, 63, IT Consultant
I think it’s too late. The author Robert Heinlein lived here in Bonny Doon. He commented on the hallmarks of the degradation of a culture, and I see so much of it here. Having studied how democracies fail, I’m surprised we’re still going. I don’t see good times ahead for America. The government is too far divorced from the realities of the nation.
— Joyful Heart, 60, Writer/Musician
