Everywhere students look, there is information about the upcoming presidential election: from TV ads to articles in history class. Although many students seem to share political views with their parents, 27 percent of the 207 students in an Oracle-conducted survey said their views differed from those of their parents.
According to junior Nick Moses, his family is liberal, but he is much farther to the left than his parents.
“I am, I guess if I had to label it, a social anarchist,” Moses said. “Which basically means that, ideally, I think that there should be no hierarchy in society, and that we should have everybody pitch in by doing what they’re good at, and then in return they get what they need.”
Although his parents do not entirely disagree with his views, Moses and his parents disagree about how someone should go about making change in the world.
“[My mom] believes that you can’t really change people and that you should just do what you can to make the best of your experience,” Moses said. “But I believe in direct action, direct activism, and I really do believe that we can make the world better.”
While Moses wishes his parents would agree with him, he tolerates their differences.
“I think compared to the way that a lot of the mainstream political views in Glenview are, I’m very proud and glad with where [my parents] are, but I do also think that they’re not radical enough,” Moses said.
While Moses and his parents generally agree, sophomore Jane Brennan says she disagrees with her dad’s views.
“My dad and me are complete opposites on everything,” Brennan said. “I agree with my mom on a lot more than my dad… [My political views aren’t] very extreme, [I am] more of a moderate Democrat maybe.”
Like Brennan, junior Izzy Fradin said she and her parents disagree on certain issues, despite the family being mainly liberal.
“I know that they think [my views] are very liberal,” Fradin said. “They think because I’m a teenager, I’m supposed to be […] rebellious.”
Fradin described her feelings on her parents’ views.
“The interesting thing about it is that it seems like it’s about what benefits them, as opposed to what benefits society as a whole,” Fradin said. “That’s just the take I get on it, I don’t know if that’s entirely true or not.”
Senior Aadil Bhatti’s situation is similar to Fradin’s, but his family is conservative. His parents emigrated from Pakistan, which has led their conservative views, Bhatti explains.
“I feel conservative on some issues also, [but] not as extreme as theirs; I’m open to change, I can change my mind whenever I feel like enough evidence points me in the right direction,” Bhatti said.
Bhatti says his parents are open to letting him think what he wants.
“[My parents] let me think however I want,” Bhatti said. “They’ll say […] ‘Even though you disagree with our views, we’re fine with that’.”
