We Heard You: Do You Feel Misunderstood?

Even before the Nov. 9 announcement that Donald Trump had won the 2016 presidential race, the chasm between political parties was wider than at any other point in decades of surveys. Researchers attribute this growing animosity to a number of factors –from education level to religion to race — and note that one thing both red and blue sides can agree on is that they disagree with the other.

Liberal and conservative-leaning voters tend to consume news from different, and often conflicting, sources. As social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook increasingly become the one-stop-shop for Americans’ news consumption, many users and researchers are concerned that this curation of news based on “likes” and friends’ “likes” could create bubbles of political experience. The proliferation of profitable fake news that spreads like lightning across social media, and is by design easily mistaken for fact, can spread untrue rumors with harmful consequences.

WABE’s “We Hear You” series is an effort to pop the political bubbles in our communities, or at least build doors in the walls. We asked the following question on WABE.org, and collected the answers — with minimal editing and not including inappropriate or irrelevant responses — over the course of a week.

How do you feel your political beliefs might be misunderstood or misrepresented by others?

I am a democrat and I am young. Any time a republican discovers these facts they automatically assume I became a democrat because I went to a “liberal” college with “liberal” professors. Yes, I went to college, but I couldn’t tell you if any of my professors were conservative or liberal. I studied journalism, a profession you are taught to be unbiased. Anyway, the older republicans look down on me and think I’ve been brainwashed by liberal elites or the “liberal media.” Completely misunderstood. – Shelby, Vinings

My wife and I both voted for Trump. We’re a young (20s), educated, interracial couple who have not voted Republican before. We felt like Trump represented a voice in the GOP away from the social issues (abortion, gay marriage, etc.) and positively in a lot of directions. Despite some disagreements with how he rhetorically approached issues, we agreed with him on many. However, we felt like there are a lot of mischaracterizations of Trump voters and it makes it hard to be public with our views. – Anonymous, Palmetto, GA area

I voted for Trump and am often labeled as homophobe, [xenophobe], etc. I don’t hate anyone, but am tired of the status quo. – Anonymous, Smyrna

The 2 biggest issues today is lack of education on the issues and their impact and that politics today is like rooting for a sports team. – Anonymous, Lawrenceville

The range of acceptable political discussion in the public discourse has been so successfully shifted in favor of the views of conservatives and neoliberals that attempting to vocalize critiques of our systemic issues of exploitation by capitalist interests is dismissed as fantastical idealism or “class warfare”. A recognition of the destructiveness of profit-driven organizations and the wealthiest classes on societal, personal, and environmental levels is necessary for productive discussion. – BL, Virginia Highland

The main stream media focused way too much on fringe politics and not core issues that effect the lives of all Americans. As a moderate with my own interests I felt like the media bias towards Hillary was being condescending to anyone who didn’t vote for her. We have a racist country and that is obvious but the media has no moral ground to stand on and condemn those who voice it. Hate speech should not be promoted and by focusing on it the media was wrong about the election and Hillary lost. – JG, Kennesaw

Real conservative issues are hard to discuss b/c of the provably false “fake” news that permeates the right and must be dealt with first. – FS, Buckhead

Misunderstanding is fueled by a polarized media and representatives who favor political smack-downs to open and honest discussion. The loudest voices cling tight to their ideologies while attempting to impose a moral imperative on others to support their beliefs. Social media is highly influential, but its current forms leave little room for nuance. Both sides appear more interested in characterizing and discrediting each other than attempting to gain perspective on opposing views. – Jess, Cabbagetown

I’m opposed to DACA because it’s totally outside of the President’s constitutional authority, not because I’m a racist – Anonymous

Fact vs opinion vs fiction. We are wedged by the journalism and media we receive. Now reporting facts and lies further separates us. – Anonymous, Ormewood Park

How do you constructively engage with people willing to believe things with no facts to support & deny facts contrary to their beliefs? – Brigitte Peck, N. Buckhead

I’m an independent voter who leans Democrat. Some conservatives misunderstand the degree to which people have control over their own lives. We have empirical, systemic issues that affect citizens disproportionately. Workplace discrimination, exploitation of low-wage workers, and the prison-industrial complex are not a personal choice. Before we can pursue free market policies, we must remove these barriers to individual economic productivity. – Anonymous, Buckhead

We used to be a nation that was proud of our scientific achievements, but now even science is politicized for partisan politics. Climate change represents the greatest potential existential threat to our species, and yet we are about to inaugurate an Administration that seems hell-bent on ignoring, if not repudiating, the widely-held consensus on the scientific theory of global warming. When we can’t agree on science (or even facts), how will we ever agree on policies? – Dan Browning, Decatur 

If you have something to say about our current political climate, please let WABE know. We will be asking different questions on this topic on WABE.org leading up to Inauguration Day. The question box below has a different prompt, and we’d like to hear your thoughts.