Guest column by Joshua Spector | 'An Inconvenient Truth about American politics

By Joshua Spector 09/29/14 1:55pm

As a member of the board of College Republicans, the most recent column piece was published in my name, and I stand by the message the piece attempted to convey. I think, however, the important issues brought up in the article were unfortunately overshadowed by the overtly partisan tone used to deliver its message. In that respect, the article was not trendsetting, but rather it was symptomatic of the general state of American politics.

The divide between Democrats and Republicans continues to grow, not just in the halls of the capitol but also in every locale across our great nation. The result is an inability to compromise or to come together on issues that should reflect a national consensus regardless of political affiliations. Support for Israel is perhaps the greatest example of such a consensus issue. The House of Representatives recently passed the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 with 410 votes, clearly a bi-partisan effort. Yet, sadly even this issue has been manipulated by either side to press partisan advantages, as evidenced by Penn Dems’ refusal to work with College Republicans on a bipartisan letter, and as evidenced by the subsequent College Republicans column piece.

Without assigning blame to either side, I would like to call upon both groups, on campus and nationally, Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, to put aside petty partisan disputes and work towards the betterment of our great country. We all must recognize that neither side has the monopoly on good ideas, and that by working together we can achieve a moderate, balanced outcome that will place our nation on the path to success.

While this current article is in my name alone, I know I speak on behalf of every Republican on this campus when I say that my hand is outstretched to the Democrats, willing and desiring to work with the other side. Rather than focus on outstanding issues between our organizations, let us focus on the real issues at hand: immigration reform, marriage equality, and yes, even foreign policy. We may not always agree, but surely, we can hold a more constructive dialogue.

The College Republicans’ article may not have been trendsetting, as I have already mentioned, but rather than continue the trend of partisan squabbling, we can still foster a new style of politics in response based on mutual respect. Penn Dems and College Republicans do not have to be mutually exclusive. They are not by default or by definition opposed and perennially at odds with one another.

I personally extend to Penn Dems one of the symbols of the State of Israel: the olive branch. Enough mudslinging and personal maligning from either side. In the future, let us come together for a stronger Penn community, a stronger America and a better world. That, hopefully, would be trendsetting.

Joshua Spector is a College senior studying political science and a member of the board of the College Republicans. He can be reached at jspec03@gmail.com.

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