Let’s All Talk

All day long I’ve thought about what I heard at last night’s debate from the Democratic Party candidates for President, in combination with a note my high school friend Tom Iatarola posted on FB just a couple of days ago about how things used to be so civil and easy back when we grew up in the 1960’s. To me and maybe to you, this is not the America that existed not so long ago. While the nation has taken many steps forward in recent decades, we have also taken many steps backwards and I think we find ourselves, as citizens, collectively in a perilous position, regardless of our political persuasions.

My principal observation is that little respectful conversation among friends on opposite sides of political issues occurs, much less, pragmatic discussion that involves finding common ground and problem solving to reach solutions. Worse, I have frequently heard longtime friends advise me of being unable to communicate and respect other’s disparate point of view. While I have not lost friends over Trump, I do have both Democratic and Republican friends who’ve told me they have! That seems unfortunate and mutually pig-headed. That problem, however, is not an indictment of Trump. It is just more at the forefront these past few years. To be sure, political discussion has been going south at least since after the 2000 election. But more to the point, WE THE PEOPLE need to initiate the change of tone in political conversation. If we can’t talk respectfully and communicate among ourselves, and especially with friends, how can we expect and demand that our elected leaders do so?

By coincidence, I was already writing this post when my friend Tom, a conservative Republican, sent me a note asking what I thought about the Democratic candidates and I replied that I just don’t know yet. I asked him what he thought and he said that he’d tell me, but he didn’t think I’d care. I told him he was wrong and I think we’re going to have a healthy discussion very soon.

Second and just as important, I regularly hear from my many Democratic friends that they think the country is permanently screwed in that we will forever have to endure fake news allegations, personal rude and libelous attacks by elected officials, and that lying will become the accepted standard of behavior by our leaders. I will never believe nor accept that to be the case. To everyone out there, if you truly believe in our institutions, such as separation of powers and The Constitution with its Bill of Rights and especially the First Amendment, then you have to believe this “crisis” will pass. Yes, undeniably there is corruption in government, but that is the exception, not the rule. There are excellent, super-smart, good and moral people, both Republican and Democrat, who hold public office at all levels who respect and honor our institutions, and who work hard for our country and each of us. And ultimately, for those who fail us, particularly in Congress, we control the process, not the elected officials. As citizens, we have the right and the POWER OF THE VOTE. If our elected officials refuse to sit together and talk to get things done to move the country forward, much as Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan did regularly, then we can and should use our vote to change that dynamic. It’s easy to blame the problem of gridlock on the politicians, for they’re the ones overtly crashing in the intersection, but ultimately, this rests on our shoulders, because we can always vote for someone who will do better.