Each week, regardless of the topic of our discussion, our staff has managed to turn to the topic of partisan political conversations – and why they’re so important. While the media often inundates us with relentless negativity, I remain steadfast in my conviction that we have much more in common with each other than we are led to believe. Although our staff is spread throughout the political spectrum, our diversity allows us to discover points of agreement in unexpected places. Each week, we learn to connect with the person behind the party. I often reflect on John Donne’s poem, For Whom the Bell Tolls:
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
We cannot and do not exist in isolation. Our shared human heritage connects us all – as Donne cries, each person’s death diminishes me. I can’t help but lean into the natural contrast; each person’s life must amplify me.
Our class discussions leave an indelible impact, reinforcing my faith in our collective ability as individuals, as students, as a BYU community, to learn to disagree better. I’m convinced that through genuine attempts at understanding, we can find deeper consensus and make more room in our hearts to love those who are different from us. In our own personal pursuits of enlightenment, we’re bound to encounter obstacles. There’s nothing quite like thoughtful, late-night conversations with those who we trust and respect to help us find clarity and cultivate our own beliefs.
So this October, I encourage you to go and listen – not to respond, but to learn – to someone you typically disagree with; perhaps you’ll find that you agree more than you think. Let’s remember that kindness, not contention should drive our interactions with others. To make Donne’s words my own… “For I, and you, and all of us, are involved in humankind.”
Happy reading,
Megan Baird
Editor-in-chief