By Erin Bilir

(aired on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday on November 2, 2008 and Colorado Public Radio on October 31, 2008)

As I walk down the halls of my high school, I catch snippets of conversation. Joe left Anna, Lisa can’t find her math binder, Jessie’s parents just don’t understand her. But then I hear something different: two friends locked in verbal combat over McCain and Obama. At first they’re debating foreign policy, but pretty soon, they’re making vague accusations like, “you only think that because you are one of those.” Both my friends are agitated, sweaty, and have that darting, wild look in their eyes. They appear deeply convinced that the other is dead wrong.

Heated screaming matches and hallway posturing about the election are happening all the time at my tight-knit school. Students wear buttons, hats, and t-shirts, put campaign stickers on lampposts, cafeteria doors, and dark corners of the library, and even string yard signs around their necks.

Believe me, I get why we’re so into this election. It’s one of the most polarizing our country has seen thus far and for good reason. There is a lot at stake—including the economic crisis, which has kids my age seriously stressed out about how we’ll ever pay for college or someday actually land a job. My teacher says maybe there’s an upside to all this opposition. She/he told me the other day that all the political and economic turmoil we’re facing might actually force the two parties to reassess their political values—and that’s a good thing. He/she says maybe it’s an opportunity to revitalize our country.

But I’m not sure about that. If people around my age, many of whom can’t drive without a licensed adult in the car much less vote, are this divided over the election, I worry about the unity of our nation.

When we stake out such strong positions at a young age, we’re not getting a lot of practice coming up with real solutions.

To me, school isn’t really the place for political showdowns, especially when some of the arguments are based off of nothing more than a handful of Saturday Night Live skits. Subjects like gay marriage and abortion seem to bring on the nastiest exchanges. Either you are a “baby-killer” or religious fanatic who condones rape and incest. With many of us so headstrong and brimming with parent-instilled biases, I don’t see a lot of room for open dialogue, let alone revitalization.

So how’d my friends in the hallway resolve their dispute? With false smiles and the pithy “let’s agree to disagree” head wag. This succinct and unfinished end seems to perfectly sum up the nature of the growing partition in my school and in our country; one in which everyone is just arming for the next fight.

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