On Pete Buttigieg and the Venom of Political Homogeneity

On Pete Buttigieg and the Venom of Political Homogeneity

Robert Gao

What leader would you invite to come speak at our school?

Over the past few months—following nationally critical dates and events such as the 2024 Presidential Election, Donald Trump’s inauguration, the announcement of a withdrawal of funding from the NIH and select research institutions, and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine—the political landscape of the United States has been in a state of volatile and hostile upheaval. Indeed, news outlets like CNN and FOX and online political moguls such as Charlie Kirk and Dean Withers are clawing their way through the dirt to make their voices heard. College campuses and the streets of politically charged towns become the canvas for these aforementioned entities to victimize. Your face could end up on the front page of Instagram or TikTok any minute, lest you say something that aggravates one side of the political spectrum or alienates entire groups of marginalized peoples. It is a politically aggressive time, and any little action can mount tremendous consequences—from university suspensions and job terminations to national deportation and societal alienation.

And yet, our school—University Laboratory High School, centered in the blue county of Champaign, Illinois and landlocked by Republican regions—faces an equally critical political problem: the venom of political homogeneity. Even in classes that call for political disagreement, such as Ms. Schoeplein’s Contemporary Issues in Government or any Mr. Leff class that touches on modern-day politics, dissent is rarely exercised. Students at Uni are oftentimes conformed to a set list of values to adhere to, letting the beauty of disagreement become lost as a result. No one disagrees, ever, and for good reason. Uni’s intense political culture and majority-leftist makeup make centrists and right-leaning students uncomfortable to voice their opinions for both fear of slippery slope exaggerations and character judgments as well as expulsion from friend and academic groups. Students agree or agree to disagree—for the most part, there is no “other” option.

Knowing this, I would invite Pete Buttigieg to speak at our school—not on behalf of the Democratic campaign but on behalf of the value of political dissent. Having seen some of his moments online and his perspectives in Jubilee videos and miscellaneous podcasts—unencumbered by public relations agents—I’ve been impressed by his ability to speak to all kinds of demographics, including politically undecided voters, devout Democratic supporters, and outspoken MAGA moguls. Indeed, it’s more than his rhetoric alone. Buttigieg has a crafted and delicate strategy of handling hostile political climates and speaking to the person. It is tested, tried and true. He is the kind of leader our school needs to address its current state, a state of unimpeded political homogeneity and disregard of political dissent.