Minimum Wage Take The Other to Lunch

Taking the Other to Lunch: Republican and Democratic Views

The Democratic party and Republican party are two major rival parties that take up most of American politics. Often, they disagree on hot button issues going on in the country right now and are on opposite sides of the spectrum. The republican party is conservative, which also reflects on their opinions regarding vaping, minimum wage, terrorism, immigration, abortion, and the wall issue. The democratic party is more liberal, allowing more freedom and space in the government. Some of the issues that they may support are the Affordable Care act, Headstart program, the DREAM act, vaping, Common Core testing, and legalization of marijuana.

Democratic Party Agreements

When it comes to political parties, not every issue is black and white and not every Democrat or Republican agrees with their parties’ policies and beliefs. For the most part however, Democrats support the Affordable Care Act, the Head Start Program, and the DREAM act. These are some issues that some people may agree with.

Affordable Care Act of 2010

Some believe that the Affordable care act of 2010 is very beneficial to the general public in attempts to make health insurance affordable. In March 23, 2010, President Obama signed this law into place, allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ health plan until their 26th birthday (Health Care). This is important because it allows them to buy time to build their careers and stand on their own feet without having to worry about the costs of medications and treatments if they do not have an insurance plan of their own. Young adults fresh out of college often struggle to juggle so many expenses all at once and fall into debt as a result. When they get sick they deny going to the doctor in fears of paying bills which can turn into a very dangerous situation if not treated properly.

Head Start program

The Democratic Party has created an initiative to teaching children coming from low-income families to be ready for school. For example, Head Start and Early Head Start begins its program starting at birth up until age 5. They provide services for education, health, and family well-being from their own locations, can partner up with child care partner locations, or can provide services in the families’ own homes (About the Office of Head Start). Many believe this may be beneficial to the future generation of Americans because they will be prepared and ready to gain skills and knowledge needed to move on to the next step instead of struggling how to learn to absorb and utilize information. Since it targets low-income families, it gives the children a chance to “catch up” to those kids that may be privileged to go to good schools or at least give them a start to a good future. This is important because it puts them in a mindset that makes them want to learn.

DREAM act

Development, relief, and education for alien minors is what DREAM stands for. The Democrats came up with this initiative to support young illegal immigrants and to help grant them citizenship given they entered before their 16th birthday, is a person of good moral character, and has been lawful in their time here. They must also be in school, graduated, or be serving in the military. After maintaining lawful residence for five years, they can apply to become U.S. citizens (Human Rights Campaign). Many believe that this legislative piece will be beneficial to America by allowing opportunities to be available to immigrants and embrace them as one. The DREAM act “protects DREAMERs and provides an eventual path to citizenship” (Immigration Reform). This is important because immigrants may also be a good resource and add to the workforce as well as provide for their own families in the future.

Republican Party Agreements

Republicans believe in removing strict regulations on vaping, do not support minimum wage increase, and combating terrorism overseas. Many people agree with these issues for different reasons.

Vaping and e-cigarettes

A large amount of Americans believe that vaping and e-cigarettes should not be strictly regulated. This is due to traditional cigarettes used today and its relationship to how much nicotine is actually in the product. For example, when cigarettes are burned, nicotine as well as other toxins are released (Wheeler). Vapes and e-cigarettes on the other hand, release just that nicotine without the other toxin that would be found in burning cigarettes. Although many may not agree with the republicans regarding finance in this situation, it does have some benefit to the industry (Republican Views on Vaping). This is important because it may somewhat be a “better” way to get a nicotine fix but it should not be strictly regulated more than cigarettes.

Minimum wage

Some republicans believe that raising the minimum wage decreases competition in workplace (Republican Views on Minimum Wage). This is due to the overall increasing of the minimum wage, which then sets a limit of what is expected of employees by the employers. If the minimum wage is raised without any skill improvement, then the employees would work a minimum as well. It decreases competition because those that are working hard for their money will now be paid the same as those that are not working as hard for their money or not at all. “A minimum wage increase will increase the operating cost that businesses face” as well, which means that it is damaging to companies while filling in the gap for raising those extra cents or dollars (Republican Views on Minimum Wage).

Combatting terrorism overseas

Some citizens believe that by taking the fight to the enemy it disrupts their group planning and alarms them, leaving them defenseless or unprepared for any raids that may occur. “Republicans believe that we need to attack terrorists on their own soil, in order to prevent them attacking us on ours” (Republican Views on Terrorism). For example, during 9/11 terrorist groups were on U.S. soil and fully prepared to attack, leaving the U.S. in nothing but dust at the time. By planning an attack on them or catching them when they least expect it on their own land would be beneficial to the United States in relation to preventing any more lethal attacks on the U.S. or any of its citizens.

Democratic Party Disagreements

Three issues that Democrats support that others may not is regulating vaping, supporting Common Core testing, and legalizing marijuana. These issues are three of many that may be controversial depending on how important it is to an individual.

Vaping and e-cigarettes.

Many people believe that vaping and e-cigarettes should be regulated and restricted in some areas. However, others believe that they should not be restricted and should be treated the same way traditional cigarettes are. After a study performed by Dr. Vivek Murthy, a re-examination was made of his findings which concluded that “Most of the evidence presented in the Surgeon General’s discussion of nicotine harm is not applicable to e-cigarette use, because it relies almost exclusively on exposure to nicotine in the cigarette smoke and not to nicotine present in e-cigarette aerosol emissions (Democratic Views on Vaping). This is important because while many people are concerned about the health risks of nicotine in the actual vaping device and attempt to an it altogether, it is no more than those in cigarettes.

Common Core testing

Many people in America are against the use of standardized testing for many reasons. In 2010, the Common Core test was released in an attempt to provide an equal learning and testing experience. One of the reasons that some are against this new test is that it essentially “financially reward states based upon accepting the federal government’s idea of a curriculum” (Common Core Explained). Some argue that it should be a state’s choice to accept or follow this new law, not be forced by the government to implement it. “The goal of the standards was to improve test scores by ensuring that all students everywhere in every grade were taught to the same standards,” however not every child learns the same way. Also, not only does it affect the student but it also affects the teachers and the entire curriculum of an institution. This is important because schools are required to spend money on new computers, teaching materials, and acquire a brand new way of teaching their students, ultimately creating a situation that would lead to unorganization (Common Core Explained).

Marijuana

When it comes to drugs and alcohol, the most concerned people with the law are parents. Many democrats support the legalization of marijuana but there are disadvantages to this, one being the availability. According to John Fleming of Louisiana, “kids and youth will have easier access to the dangerous, addictive drug” (Republican Views on Marijuana). This is important because while Americans do give some freedom to their children, having marijuana in the market for use for everyone is something that they fear. Although there are ways around the law, maintaining regulations on this drug the same as other hardcore drugs may be an obstacle to children accessing it and ultimately using it as a gateway drug.

Republican Party Disagreements

Three issues that the Republicans support is religion based immigration, banning abortion, and the idea of a wall to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country. Many disagree with these issues mainly due to the Trump administration pushing to implement these ideas.

Religion based immigration

With the association of Islam and terrorism on the rise in the past 20 years, Republicans have been hesitant to accept Muslims from entering the U.S. “Some Republicans support religious testing for refugees fleeing the Middle East” which many agree to that looks like religious discrimination (Republican Views on Religion). Many people believe that rather than shunning those Muslim refugees, discriminating them, wrongly accusing and looking down upon them that America should accept them with open arms. They would be fleeing persecution from other religions in their countries. President Trump has been a main factor in fueling this issue with his belief that anyone Muslim “should not only be banned from entering the country, but that those Muslims that are already in America should be forced to leave” (Republican Views on Religion). This is important because while America is supposed to be a discrimination and racism-free country, supporting religious testing would be a mistake and a dishonor to the country and its citizens.

Abortion

Women are as equal as citizens of the U.S. as men. Many citizens believe that they should have their own choice whether to keep a baby or abort it. On a more detailed stance, in the instance of rape, sexual assault and health risks, many believe that it 100% should be a mother’s choice to keep the baby. People oppose the Republican party’s stance of abortion largely due to the fact that the “platform contains no exceptions for rape, incest, birth defect, or risks to the mother’s health” (Republican Views on Abortion). If it wasn’t for this particular detail, Republicans would gain much more support. This is important because when a woman is raped, finds out the baby is detrimental to her health, or the actual baby has a defect, a woman already has a lot of things that she goes through physically, mentally, and socially. People believe that forcing a woman to keep a child in that case is a violation of her rights.

Wall

President Trump has recently stated that he wants to build a wall on the southern border of the U.S. A large majority of Republicans accept and agree with this idea for a separation between U.S. and Mexico in attempts to stop illegal immigration. However, it would be morally wrong and against the American values to hinder a human’s right and to prevent them from coming into the U.S. A large amount of immigrants that do come into the U.S. come for good intentions and good cause. It is wrong to blame Mexico of “using illegal immigration to export the crime and poverty in their own country” (Donald Trump on Immigration). Discriminating the Hispanic community for drug, rape, and murder crimes is not what the United States believes in. This is important because immigration is what drives the country. Immigration adds to the nation’s wealth as well as providing equal opportunity to all.

Interview

My friend Trevor and I talked about healthcare, the wait time at the doctor’s office, taxes, inflation, and interest rates. My view on healthcare is that it should be affordable if not free to everyone. I don’t care much for taxes but I believe they should be low enough to not be detrimental to the government. I do notice inflation but I do not have much opinion on that either. My friend believes that taxes should be reasonably low and the government should better efficiently use the budget they have. He believes that there aren’t enough doctors around to care for so many people at once. He added that when he was a kid and sick he would schedule an appointment with the doctor and be there the same day. Now he has to wait weeks or even over a month to see a doctor. Even then the doctor has 3 other patients that he is working with and there is no intimacy.

Trevor questioned how the government is going to fund the healthcare without raising taxes for everyone. He also asked what representatives feel about sick people having to wait from days to months just to see their doctor. Are they going to subsidize medical school to incentivize more people to become doctors? If so, how much will our taxes increase to pay for that? These are some questions that really hit home for him due to his current medical condition. Trevor also adds that one of the stereotypes that upsets him is that he is anti-woman for believing that abortion is wrong. He understands abortion in circumstances such as rape and the cases where conceiving a child can kill you is necessary but does not understand why that means he is anti-woman. Many of the issues he brought up didn’t even occur in my mind so it really made me think on how the government would actually work on the issue of healthcare.

Summary

I have found that it is difficult to listen to someone without putting your input in it. Whether you agree with them on something or disagree, it is almost impossible to release a reaction from yourself consciously or unconsciously. When we hear something that doesn’t appeal to us, we stray away from it or look down upon it rather than accepting it. Instead of using this unhealthy mechanism to communicate with other people, making the conscious effort to listen to the other person and see something from their perspective really makes an impact on yourself as a person, how others view you, and also how you see the world. When one first enters a conversation, he or she doesn’t know what to expect. However, this is what communicating is all about, taking in information, processing it, and reacting to it. How one reacts to certain things tells a lot about them. It should be anything but offensive to the other person. If one learns to actively listen to another individual with a different belief as theirs, they will be successful in building and maintaining healthy relationships.

Cite this page