Thinking About Politics: Schools vs Media

I currently work in an office where some people express strong political opinions which are highly offensive to others in the office. In the spirit of diplomacy, I suggested to my boss that there be some sort of policy set in place about having those types of discussions in public areas, where people have to hear very offensive things about themselves and their beliefs.
My suggestion was shot down because “placing any limitations on what discussions can go on in the office would be an infringement of freedom of speech.” Well that is true, but shouldn’t, in all technicality, conversations in the office be about work related topics?
Of course I began to question how I can use this in teaching. Elementary school is where children get the earliest foundations for their political perspectives. It is where they learn about the origins of our country, presidents, different parties and view points. It’s all very basic and un-controversial at this level. It is simply facts and history. So where are the seeds that bloom into strong political opinions coming from?
As a person who really tries to keep a flexible political position, I tend to look at everything from an objective standpoint. I believe that even if we don’t agree with something, we should always respect the fact that other people have their own opinions and be mindful of that. Taking a position of extreme resistance does not foster positive change, germane debates or the team work that is needed to prosper as a country. The major flaw, in my mind, is our inability to listen to one another, work together for the common good and be respectful of each other.
Children are so impressionable at a young age that I fear the damage that might be occurring in their sponge-like brains with the massive opposition that is present in the political realm these days. In many cases, this is what they are witnessing in the media and in their personal lives.
I see an opportunity here for teachers to have a strong influence on setting the stage for more diplomatic thinking in future generations.
I know that many teachers probably already use techniques to teach respect and effective communication in several areas of the curriculum and classroom culture and I have read about and seen some really great uses of diplomacy by teachers. I do believe that there is a benefit to tying this concept specifically to the curriculum which discusses politics, since the impact of media when it comes to political issues is so overpowering. I have seen people who are good and kind turn into a completely different person during a political debate. The topic is heated and people often unconsciously throw all reverence out the window in the midst of it. By tying the two ideas together at a young age, a neurological connection can be made so that when the topic of politics comes up, a natural response would be to listen with consideration and have effective discussions, rather than trigger feelings of defense, opposition and anger.
It may sound strange to suggest that our responses to politics are deeply rooted into our nervous system, but if you stop for a moment to think about your natural reaction to anything political related, you might find that it mirrors some early memories of parents, teachers, community members or other influential people and occurences in your life.
I just wonder if the way we teach politics in schools today directly influence how tomorrows’ politicians will interact with one another, how citizens will vote, and the reputation and direction of our country as a whole. Are we letting the media have more of an impact than schools when it comes to learning how to address opposing viewpoints? I tend to think that media perpetuates the cycle of resistance and opposition to each other when, in reality, what we need is more cohesiveness. It’s something to think about…