Civilty Lost

This week's goal is a dose of civilty and finding some small area we can mostly agree on.

First, name calling an elected official or accusing them of a nefarious conspiracy theory infers negative characteristics about those in support of that person. It's NOT a constructive or intelligent way to try to convince others of your argument(s). Actually, it does just the opposite and reinforces their negative biases as well. They just dig in.

Having said that, many of us are guilty of it because we've been worked up into a frenzy by powerful forces that need our votes, therefore we get pelted with all the RIGHT or LEFT propaganda they can throw our way from our desktop computers, smartphones, and cable news channels. Can we not see a few good points (s) on ANY policy from the other side of the argument?

Are Both sides totally right or totally wrong? That doesn't even sound reasonable.

We all think we know exactly what's true and what's false because of what our preferred news channel anchor or opinion journalist tells us to believe, but clearly, all we really know is what is served up to us on a daily basis via the digital echo chamber that we're ALL stuck in. It feels so good to be totally right...

In many cases, their narratives are far from the truth and in some instances just spun fabrications, regardless of which side is spouting it. As an independent, I've seen it both ways with my own eyes.

Couldn't we just start out with an agreement on that?

Former President Dwight Eisenhower claimed that our biggest threat was the military industrial complex and he was right, then. That was before Social Media and 200 news channels attempted to take over our country and consciousness.

This week, why not try to soften the tone and TALK ABOUT POLICIES instead of calling each other's candidates losers, criminals, and worse? It devolves the argument into something totally nonproductive and it is a waste of everyone's time and energy all the while leading nowhere.

It helps to remember that broadly speaking, most people desire similar things, like a happy, safe, and productive life, a decent job, opportunity, and a safe neighborhood to raise the next generation.

Could this be another possible point of agreement between us?

Without the ability to talk about policies versus hateful and harmful rhetoric we are truly lost and our Republic is truly at risk. My hope is that we can remain united as neighbors, friends, family members, as well as Americans while we're disagreement. That's actually a sign of strength, maturity, integrity, and intelligence.

It's not a sign of weakness.

As a show of good faith, name ONE policy that you don't agree with your own party about.

JUST ONE.

For me, it's going to be global warming. I believe mankind IS affecting the global climate with massive doses of CO2 contributions. The real argument lies in how fast it's happening.

Jack Solloway