We live in an intensely politically polarized society. Everyone inhabits their own echo chambers, only ever encountering viewpoints they agree with. Democrats watch MSNBC, Republicans watch Fox News. There’s no room for civil debate, which creates the kind of hyperpartisan atmosphere that leads to the election of someone like Donald Trump.
Well, not anymore.
Daniel Sandberg is a senior at Duke University. He’s the Vice President of his student government. He plays the clarinet in his free time, and is an avid reader.
He’s also a goddamn hero.
At 11:39 AM Thursday morning, scrolling through Facebook headlines on his phone while eating lunch at the union, Daniel stopped, produced a large needle from his pocket, and proceeded to forcefully pop the bubble that had surrounded him up to that point.
In other words, he began following the National Review on Facebook.
As the soapy particles settled around his immediate area, Daniel continued scrolling. A few minutes later, he was given his first taste of the outside world.
It was a headline that read, “Trump is right to cut PBS/NPR funding. It’s just elitist propaganda anyway.”
At first Daniel was shocked. But as he continued scrolling, he realized the beauty of the decision he had made. He closed his eyes and imagined a great door opening before him, revealing a world more vast and diverse than he could ever have foreseen. It was as if he had gone from seeing only shades of gray to seeing all the colors of the rainbow, and he felt his soul physically expand.
His eyes had been forever opened. He would no longer see only liberal headlines, but wrong ones as well.
If only we all had the courage that Daniel had. The world might be a more open, peaceful place.
