No fancy credentials here! Just an avid citizen wanting to find ways to speak more respectfully about our political differences.
Within my network of family, friends, and acquaintances, a wide swath of the political spectrum is represented. That’s all well and good, except that I’ve found our views are so oppositional at times, our political differences threaten to poison our otherwise positive relationships. These are all people I care about and respect. Presumably, we basically want very similar things in life. So, I’ve often wondered: Are we really that far apart politically? Or do we need to work on understanding each other better? Without the labels and rhetoric, maybe we agree more than the polarizing nature of our news and social media leads us to believe.
So off with the labels and rhetoric. Let’s focus on trying to really listen to and understand each other. Understanding is not agreeing. We can see a point without betraying our core values. We’re never going to be in complete agreement on anything – that’s not the goal. But if we find some common ground, won’t we make the world a better place by acting on that common ground?
Most importantly, I’d like to invite all of us to resist the temptation to lash out with hateful words and personal insults. We all feel passionate about our beliefs. But what has expressing our frustration in those ways ever accomplished except to make people dig in their heels a little deeper? I feel the frustration and am not immune to experiencing the anger that begets our less-than-stellar angels. But I truly believe we can accomplish so much more and feel so much less divided if we can take the time to choose our words thoughtfully. We’ve all seen hateful discourse prevail when a more honest and thoughtful dialogue would have been so much more helpful. That’s what I aspire to here.
I’ve enjoyed life with my wonderful husband for almost 30 years now and am the grateful mother of three sons – one still at home and two off at college. We live in a suburb of Minneapolis and enjoy traveling, being outdoors, and spending time with family. I have worked as a high school science teacher, editor, writer, and researcher. In my spare time, I’m a serial picture-taker (and therefore hapless organizer of said pictures), an aspiring children’s book author, and family history nut.