In the Upper School community there is a fear of sharing opinions and conversations about controversial topics. This issue doesn’t just apply to the current conflict in Israel; it also applies to other major issues happening in our world today. In order to create a stronger school community, there needs to be a greater dialogue about uncomfortable and controversial topics. Confronting our disagreements in a productive and empathetic way will allow us to share our opinions and feel like our voices are heard in the Blake community. But, there is a long way to go.
Conflict is rarely just black and white, but students and faculty tend to believe they don’t need to listen or read about other sides of an issue. Many think of an issue like the Israel and Hamas War as one group against another, and that there’s only two perspectives to this conflict. In reality there is a whole array of opinions surrounding the Israel and Hamas War. It is important to look at an issue from multiple perspectives, so you can better understand the issue at hand.
It’s easier to have a discussion about something where there’s only two sides, but it is vital to recognize that every issue that might be uncomfortable to talk about is likely difficult because of its nuance. There may be no “correct” answer to support, but that is often the reality of conflict. For example, with the Israel and Hamas conflict many believe being pro-Israel means you support all of Israel’s actions and are completely anti-Palestine or vice versa. Another example is that some people think that Hamas represents all Palestinians, but in reality, Hamas is a terrorist group and represents a small population, just like how the administration might not represent all of the students at the Upper School.
The Spectrum staff believes that in the community there’s a fear around saying the wrong thing and then suddenly being alienated from the community. Many think that if they say something surrounding a topic like the Israel and Hamas War it will offend others that have deep connections to a specific issue. It seems to be that the majority of the time people assume the worst intentions when it comes to another person’s opinion on a certain topic. The fear is that if someone offends someone that they know or have a relationship with, what they said will cause them to lose the respect they have from that person or group of people. In our community people value their relationships with other people over their opinions on a certain topic which leads to a predominant culture of not voicing your opinion at all.
It is not bad to value the relationships you have with others but it’s important to recognize that people can disagree or have differences in opinions and still have relationships and productive conversations. If no one voices their thoughts or opinions then there’s no way to evolve a conversation, and in order to bridge disagreements or misunderstandings, discussions need to happen in our school. Engaging with one another’s ideas with respect and simply asking questions about each other’s perspectives are the first steps to creating a more welcoming and understanding school community.
People can be quick to judge especially if what was said doesn’t align with their values. As a school we are very judgemental. Students are typically scared to voice their thoughts and opinions because there’s a risk of being judged by other classmates. There’s a predominant culture of not voicing your opinion at all which leads to unproductive conversations and discussions. If no one voices their thoughts or opinions then there’s no way to evolve a conversation. Opinions are not bad. They are good, they help others formulate their thoughts and ideas.
