Columns, Opinion

SMITH: Scotland sees politics very differently

Scotland has a curious relationship with independence. I’m currently enrolled in a Scottish medieval history class whilst abroad, and it has been nothing short of an eye-opening experience.

For many Americans, the only familiarity one may have with Scottish independence and its long struggle is the brutal movie, “Braveheart.” I’m certainly not bashing William Wallace because he is, after all, a prolific figure in Scottish history. However, it is worth noting that his story does not even begin to encompass Scotland’s multi-century struggle for sovereignty from its neighbors, or its diverse political environment through the ages.

It’s difficult to comprehend Scotland’s political stance without understanding some fundamental political differences between Scotland and the United States. I also have to preface these statements with the fact that this is pure opinion, developed from my observations at the University of St. Andrews.

Here, students are definitely politically engaged. Student turnout for our most recent class elections was 36.12 percent, ranking us as the university with the highest turnout in Scotland.  Our student body values politics on a local scale, and it definitely translates to interest in national events.

At Boston University, students are, for the most part, aware of national politics, but it’s incredibly easy to remain insularly focused. The United States functions as this sort of stupid and self-consumed giant, because it can. Its citizens often follow suit.

As students here at St. Andrews discuss the upcoming French elections and the effects of Geert Wilders’ defeat, American students are only zeroing in on Paul Ryan’s culpability or lack thereof. Yet, what astonished me most is that European students also discussed the current joke that is the Trump administration. It’s not as if their European perspective excluded them from American affairs. No, they simply had a worldlier view of how global powers interacted politically.

In the United Kingdom, and across Europe in general, citizens are not afforded the same ignorance as Americans because of their geographic fate. With close borders and constant interaction, the events of other countries inevitably spill into the greater European consciousness.

Another sharp divide between my fellow students here versus at BU is an unabashed responsibility for conservative views. In the United Kingdom, it seems that many students on campus are far more right than left, and are not at all afraid to declare this belief. I feel that many students in American liberal arts colleges and universities are fearful of stating their conservative affiliation because of the possible ramifications from their classmates.

As the former editor of this very opinion section, I felt like I sometimes had to pry musings from even the most vocal of BU’s conservatives. Here, views are openly voiced, and discussed, in a democratic and respectful manner.

Certainly, some of the letters to various student newspapers seem to be preposterous, and I am often even offended, but I would much prefer to see my enemy than have him or her lurk in the shadows, waiting to spring at the voting booths or in the process of policy creation.

The moments that I have most enjoyed this transparency of political affiliation is in class discussions. It’s fascinating how once citizens own their beliefs, they tend to spill into all realms. Discussion of the former occupation of the Nile River is no longer just about the historical significance of the event, but a time to discuss poetically the grand time of British imperialism. Though terrifying, it is also intriguing.

And so, to pull this transparency back to Scotland’s independence and the greater landscape of Britain’s exit from the European Union, the discussions that are taking place on campuses are not in hushed gatherings but with shouts.

For instance, a group on campus, whose beliefs are decidedly right, petitioned for the hoisting of the Union Jack above Prince William’s former dorm, to celebrate the triggering of Article 50. This is, after all, the formal beginning to the process of Brexit, and was, in their opinion, a time to celebrate British identity.

When reflecting on my experiences last semester, where people I thought I knew turned out to be completely different individuals ideologically, I absolutely prefer these expressions. When hiding behind false statements, one cannot have a substantive or productive conversation about why one may believe this way. It’s not only frustrating, but deceptive.

Ironically, I’ve found that stepping far away from American soil has renewed my interest in American politics, something from which I was so enjoying an escape if only for a few months. I think that, inspired by the worldly views of my friends, I will return stateside with a new perspective of American political ideology.

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