By spending just one day at Wayland High School, you can easily determine the most common political beliefs at our school. I think it is fair to say that Wayland is predominantly a left-leaning or Democratic town. As many know, I openly admit to not falling subject to this conformity.

When January 20th approached, the majority of Wayland High School buzzed with excitement about the entrance of President Obama into office. As the milestone in American history rounded the corner, an increasing number of Obama t-shirts and apparel could be seen on campus. Supporters grinned from ear to ear, as both teachers and students rallied for Obama.

On January 20th it was encouraging to see such hope in people’s eyes as we all sat down to watch the inauguration. Nevertheless, how could one not ask the lingering question: Would Wayland High School still have watched the 2009 inauguration if Obama were a Republican?

Don’t get me wrong; I voluntarily joined in to watch the induction of our 44th President. However, I couldn’t help but think that the school should watch the inauguration of the President every four years, regardless of his or her race or political affiliation. Wayland High School had never watched the inauguration before. I wonder if it will become a tradition or if this was a one-time event.

For the next election of 2012, it has been speculated that Americans will see the Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal enter the race. In the 2007 Louisiana State election,the Republican Jindal became the first Indian-American elected to statewide office in U.S. history, as well as the youngest current governor of the U.S.

Jindal overcame race issues in order to climb the political tower, yet he often receives little publicity here in Massachusetts or other northern states. I can only hope that if a Republican like Bobby Jindal were elected, Wayland would still watch the inauguration.

Because of my different beliefs, I am often approached with questions about my position on certain political issues, including the heated issues of same-sex marriage, offshore drilling, and abortion. However, it is hard to convince people of my opinions when they enter the debate with so many assumptions as to what a so-called Republican would believe. Being associated with a particular party can often be difficult and complex, due to the possibility of prejudice from opposing sides.

It can be hard to align completely with a single political party. Many people have found this to be problematic in the past; Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut is a case in point. Lieberman is an observant Orthodox Jew who originally ran for Senate in 1988 as a Democratic candidate. As the years progressed, so did his political beliefs. His ideas gradually branched more widely over political spectrum. When Lieberman ran in the primaries of the 2004 presidential election, he failed to gain support from liberal Democrats because of his varied and unusually right-leaning opinions.

Since then, Lieberman has crossed many of the political party borders. He has withdrawn his place in the Democratic Party and become a member of the Independents. In the 2008 presidential election, despite his essentially Democratic background, Lieberman actively campaigned for and supported John McCain. He even spoke at the Republican National Convention on McCain’s behalf.

In Wayland High School, I am most often categorized as a conservative. Although I accept the title, I often have ideological struggles similar to those of Joe Lieberman. I think that Lieberman can be a good example of stepping away from conformity and judgment in political parties and beliefs. He shows us that we don’t have to agree with every part of the political platform of a party just because we are associated with it. We can cross the line, cross the borders of opinion in order to branch out and think independently.

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