In 1860, the two-party system of the United States was created, and since then, the Democrat and Republican parties have been determining the fates of how Americans live their lives. Their never-ceasing strifes and debates over morals, race and policy have created a man-made chasm between American people based on which political party they choose to affiliate or not affiliate themselves with.

In recent years, this chasm has only deepened as modern media has pushed and strengthened harmful stereotypes and disinformation against opposing parties, leaving it difficult for any American to simply remain neutral.

Elijah Boatwright is a junior studying political science and economics. He currently serves as the president of College Republicans at UT and the vice president of the Tennessee College Republicans statewide federation.

Boatwright told The Daily Beacon that he has always felt strongly about his political beliefs, but he does not believe his political affiliation as a Republican affects who he is as a person.

The acceptance Boatwright found at College Republicans helped him transition with his move from California to Tennessee during his freshman year and helped him to find friends.

While the organization allows conservative students like Boatwright to freely express their opinions without fear of social or academic ostracism, he does not attribute it to shaping his identity.

“My political affiliation is a secondary byproduct of my fundamental values and character, not the other way around,” Boatwright said.

Boatwright said that he affiliates himself with the Republican party because he believes in the ideological foundations that make the party flourish — traditionalism, virtue and a moral society.

Kennedy Davis is a senior studying political science and serves as the membership coordinator for College Democrats at UT.

Davis told the Beacon that she is a Democrat because she is a young woman who grew up with a single mother and saw how liberal policies were always able to help her family during difficult times.

Now that she is older, Davis said that she affiliates herself with the Democratic Party because she believes that it represents people who care about the rights and liberties of everyone, no matter their status, beliefs, race, gender or ethnicity.

While Boatwright and Davis exist on opposing sides of the political spectrum, they do have some similarities. They are both Christians, and they agree that it is important for all Americans to be politically involved. They also said they believe that all sides should be heard and that all opinions and people, even if they are different, should be valued.

“Always assume the best out of other people and treat others with inherent dignity and respect because everyone is equally valuable before God,” Boatwright said. “No matter how much you disagree with them.”

Davis described that one of the most harmful stereotypes she has heard is that Democrats are “anti-Christian” because of their pro-choice beliefs.

“While I am pro-choice, I also believe in God,” Davis said. “I cannot speak for all Democrats, but I believe that women, as well as all people, have a right to make decisions about their bodies and be able to make choices regarding their health. … It is a medical procedure that should be available to all women regardless.”

Boatwright described that the most common misconception is that Republicans are hateful and do not care about anyone but themselves.

“Conservatives love all people,” Boatwright said. “However, we also recognize that love is not synonymous with acceptance and tolerance but with telling the hard truth that people need to hear, not necessarily want to hear. People often mistake this for hate.”

The opinions of Boatwright and Davis cannot speak for all who identify as Republican or Democrat, as there are factions and differences of opinion even within these parties.

America is a melting pot of cultural identities, belief systems and ideologies that come from people influenced by societies worldwide. Freedom remains of the utmost importance and the achievement of the “American Dream,” however one may define it, still exists.

Without politics, America would not exist, so there is no shame in letting it cultivate your identity, according to Boatwright.

“Political affiliation is important because politics is important, which is simply the study of how a society oughtto be properly governed. Everyone should have some stake in how they want their society to look like,” Boatwright said.

Just because someone has a different opinion does not mean they should be scrutinized for it. Each political party has ideas and beliefs to offer to society that can be beneficial.

A study conducted by Stand Together suggested that political division is much less about policy and more about a false narrative fueling comparison and emotions of hatred towards one another.

Politicians no longer simply debate policy — they attack one another for who they are and what they seem to represent. So when it comes down to it, Americans either stand proud by the side of their party fueled with empowerment derived from a “we are better than thou” mentality, or they are left feeling ashamed of their values.

It is important to note that while looking for sources for this article, it was difficult to find people willing to go on the record out of fear of being scrutinized by the public.

This says a lot about the current state of our nation and the changes that need to be made. Political identity at its core is not harmful, but the way people treat and perceive others who do not share their beliefs is, according to Davis.

“I do not have any hate in my heart towards individuals who do not share the same cultural values,” Davis said. “But in light of the upcoming election, I think that it is important that we respect each other and treat each other with kindness because, at the end of the day, we are all Americans — we will remain one country, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”