The political issues of today’s America seem to be non-stop. Breaking news announcing political scandals, tweets informing of changes on insurance policies and videos broadcasting arguments on tax have become normal in everyone’s lives; however, one issue that stands out at the top of the list in importance is immigration laws concerning illegal immigrants.

In September, President Donald Trump ordered an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a system meant to protect those whose parents brought them illegally into the U.S. as children. Over 800,000 individuals were under this program’s protection, making them eligible for deportation after a set amount of time. These immigrants took on the name of Dreamers: a name to symbolize their continuous fight for legal residency and their quest for the infamous American Dream. Immense controversy has circled around this issue, splitting the nation into two. Similarly, here at Antioch Community High School, the student body is filled with diversity even when it comes to political matters.

Senior Werner Martin, a conservative, feels no concern regarding how the media portrays his political opinion; however, he believes the media shares only one side of the argument instead of just stating the facts of political news. On the opposite end of the spectrum stands junior Lynn Krock, whose liberal mindset has made her feel concerned about the way the media is displaying her political stance.                                               

“Once again, a lot of Americans didn’t want DACA, even to this day,” Martin said. “I say take it [away] because there shouldn’t be any free rides [for immigrants.] Come here the legal way and earn your keep.”

Martin, with many other conservatives, stands strong in the idea that it is not fair to come to the United States illegally and still have the same opportunities as everyone else. Liberals, on the other hand, see this issue differently.

“The children brought to the U.S. had no choice in the matter,” Krock said. “They shouldn’t be punished for being brought along with their family.”

Finding a middle ground between these two opinions may seem extremely unlikely, but when it came to the common idea that Dreamers, along with other immigrants, steal Americans’ jobs, the two sides came to a consensus.

“Immigrants aren’t stealing jobs; people that say this are just too [freaking] lazy to go and get a job,” Martin said. “People nowadays want everything handed to them. I was raised [where] if you want something, work for it. You have to earn it.”

Similarly, Krock saw this concept as something to ridicule. She acknowledged the struggle immigrant families go through and gave her opinion on the matter.

“If you apply for a job and an immigrant receives the job over you, that means they were more qualified,” Krock said. “They haven’t taken it from you.”

It’s easy to get lost in the differences and the pressure the media has set between liberals and conservatives; it’s easy to ignore the similarities and it’s even easier to continue the constant arguments. The most difficult, and possibly the most important, task is to stay focused on finding a middle ground which allows both sides to concentrate on their similarities rather than differences. This way, a bridge can be created between the two sides, allowing a healthier connection to grow.