One of the 2005 Journal-World Academic All-Stars profiled in Sunday’s paper offered a great perspective on the American political system.

Nat Wells, who helped start a club now known as the Lawrence High School Teenage Republicans, said that he wasn’t bothered that his group almost always was outnumbered by Democratic supporters. That clearly was the case when the LHS Teenage Republicans got together with the LHS Young Democrats to watch the presidential campaign debates between George Bush and John Kerry.

“I think the Democrats outnumbered us 5-to-1 at those debate watches,” Wells said, and then added, “At the end, we’re all still friends.”

There’s a lesson in that for many people who might consider themselves much older and wiser about politics. Too many Americans have lost the ability to debate and disagree but still be friends. Whether it’s Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives or young and old, we too often forget that the person who may hold a view different from our own still is someone we respect and perhaps even like.

Nat said he was considering majoring in political science or international relations in college. Hopefully, whatever field he chooses he’ll retain and share his healthy philosophy on respectful political discourse.