The Diversity of Thought Anonymous

To the outside world, my high school is the antithesis of diverse. When my peers considered me a legitimate minority for being a redhead, I assumed “diversity” to be a dirty word within the ivory-skinned social scene. However, I discovered that diversity exists beyond skin color or ethnic background: our different thought processes reveal a much deeper form of diversity that is often overlooked. Modern American society preaches tolerance and respect for all skin colors, however, little is said regarding diversity of thought. It is simple to look beyond the color of one’s skin, however, when there is a difference in opinion, any remnants of prejudice tend to rear their ugly heads. Such was the case of our school’s politics club.

“We need more liberals,” the club co-president tells me. From the get-go I sense an “us versus them” mentality among club members, which worries me. Despite this partisan recruitment, I decide to join the Politics Club. Every Monday, a handful of us gather after school to bicker about the week’s political happenings. Literally divided by a line of desks, the young democrats and republicans hurl stale arguments and falsified statistics back and forth until a stalemate is declared for yet another week. With...