Recognizing and respecting one another’s differences—rather than using them as ammunition in debate—is the key to civil discourse, Massachusetts State Representative Keiko Orrall told students. Rep. Orrall spoke at the invitation of Milton’s Conservative Club, and she acknowledged that the tact she describes is notably absent from national politics today. Rep. Orrall, the Republican national committeewoman from Massachusetts, cautioned students against assuming that people with opposing political views are “the enemy,” saying such polarizing attitudes prohibit compromise and grind the legislative process to a halt. “We need to have more productive discourse,” she said. “There is a lot of anger on both sides of the aisle. We need to value and respect other people’s opinions. That’s how we get things done.”
“If the candidate you support does not win, don’t take your ball and go home. Don’t give up. You can make a difference by being kind. You can make a difference by listening to each other. You can make a difference by participating in the political process.”