An Open Letter to Body Language (specifically at the State of the Union Address)

Dear Body Language of the State of the Union Address' Audience,

There has been no greater representation of our country's division and polarization than at President Trump's 2018 State of the Union Address. While one side of Congress leapt into applause and cheers after each sentence, the other side remained seated, stoic and disappointed. Sadly, this body language wasn't something that you had to carefully observe. The differences between the two parties were glaringly obvious.

The above photo is one of the most accurate visualizations of our country right now. The right side of the room claps, while President Trump speaks primarily to them, instead of both parties. The three standing Democrats, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Senator Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), are all vulnerable in the 2018 election, so instead of standing by the beliefs of their party, they applaud to earn votes in their home states (which were very pro-Trump in the 2016 election). The rest of the Democrats remain seated, dismayed by Trump's incredibly conservative promises.

Not only does that picture tell us about what's happening in Congress, but it represents what's happening in our country too. We remain more divided than ever. In the past "Republican" and "Democrat" was a minor detail. Now, it has become a label, in which one can judge the other's character based on that one aspect of their personality. I will admit that I have succumbed to this labelling as well, even though I know that I shouldn't. My disdain for Trump has, somehow, given me the permission to reject Republicans because I make the assumption that all of them are against what I believe is right and just.

I think that was the 2016 election's greatest evil. Not that it elected a man like Donald Trump (though, that is a close second), but that it worsened the way we even look at each other. If you support Donald Trump, you must be a racist bigot. If you support Hillary Clinton, you must be a corrupt libtard.

Part of this is due to the reputation of Trump and Clinton, but more of it is due to the deep-seated political alliances that we cherish so deeply. It would be preposterous for me to support a Republican. In fact, if I was to call my parents in two years and tell them that I supported the conservative presidential candidate, they would probably expect me to follow up my statement with "just kidding." The presence of political parties has conditioned us to not look past our party, and the result is increasingly radical candidates in a world where most voters would prefer to be moderate.

George Washington, in his Farewell Address, warned America about the dangers of political parties. You can find the exact quote here, but, in essence, he says that "cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people" when he is supported by political parties. Like many great, historical statements about the future, this one has come true.

I don't know what the solution is. There isn't a way to completely dismantle the political party system in a seamless manner. To do so would take decades, and could only be propelled by people with an undying desperation to make a difference. I would argue that such a change would not be possible in my lifetime.

I don't even know if that solution, perhaps impossible to achieve, is the right one. To be completely honest, I cannot imagine American politics without the elephant and the donkey. How would we debate? How would we decide who to elect? How would we identify ourselves?

In what way could we still be divided?

Because, even if political parties were completely disregarded, we wouldn't live in perfect harmony. There would still be something that kept us apart, and if it's not Republican versus Democrat, then what would it be? I'm not sure I want to know the answer, because it could be far worse.

As I write this, I picture Elizabeth Warren at the State of the Union Address and realize that I looked just like her while watching C-SPAN on my laptop. Discouraged, angry, and worried. I am discouraged because Trump still carries on with his conservative agenda. I am angry because we let something like this happen. I am worried because I don't know how all of it is going to end.

But, despite all of this, I still have hope. It is easy to see that our country is divided, and that Trump probably does not have a chance of rectifying our broken nation. Always, when I feel this way, I do what any liberal arts history major would do, and I turn to what I know about the United States and our past.

And, if I know anything, one ill-fated election is not going to stop us, but we have to try harder to work together.

I hope at the next State of the Union Address, our body language is not such an obvious indicator of our country's well-being.

Yours Truly,

P.S. Check out this gif of Donald Trump trying to encourage the Democrats to stand up and clap for him so that he feels validated.