By Neal Lemery
Another election season is upon us, with an infusion of lawn signs for local school boards and bond measures, overflowing town hall meetings, and an abundance of social media posts on a wide range of issues and candidates.
Too often, in my view, many of the social media posts and other public comments are hypercritical personal attacks, often uncomfortable and downright nasty. Some writers advocate boycotts of small businesses owned by people who have opposing views, or not attending local cultural events simply because the presenters and performing artists are friends with people with different perceived political views.
The postings are often snide and one-sided, certainly not fostering an atmosphere of intellectual debate and informed political discourse. There’s no attempt at dialogue, but rather a contest on who can throw the sharpest spear and slather the thickest political mud.
One hopes we are going to have a political season that stimulates education and an informed discussion on important issues. This approach of scorching the earth with personal attacks and threats of economic boycotts and actively disrupting peaceful gatherings of one’ opponents, will only further divide us. It will further inhibit any efforts of intelligent and informed debate and community building.
If I disagree with a businessperson’s personal political outlook, not patronizing their restaurant or shopping at their store seems ineffective in any effort to share information, have a constructive conversation, or be successful in conveying the merits of my own particular position. Rather, such one-sided actions cut off any meaningful dialogue and effort to be persuasive and educational.
Instead, local businesses need our support. There is a shortage of listeners and dialogue on critical local and national issues. Each of us has the ability to change these dynamics and to be builders rather than demolishers.
Our presence at someone’s restaurant or store offers an avenue of conversation, a path to exchange views, and a willingness to learn from my neighbor, and build relationships.
Being angry, vitriolic and slamming the doors shut to good communication, and posting my one-sided, tone-deaf diatribes will simply ensure that we don’t communicate, we don’t grow, and we don’t look for common ground and a common path forward. We don’t change minds and instead sow poison on what could be fertile ground for a healthier community. Are those results what we are intending to do?
An acquaintance recently announced an effort to bring some loud annoying music to the site of a planned demonstration advocating a different political view. They wanted to disrupt and bring chaos to the opposing event. Their announcement failed to mention that their own particular group’s planned political march at the same location was also a political activity, and also protected by the Constitutional guarantees of free speech and peaceful assembly.
Both activities were being organized to bring voice to political concerns about freedom, citizenship, and due process, yet the planned disruption would advocate not allowing the other side to express their own views. Doesn’t that contradict their own values and their own political message?
If I find myself yelling and screaming, being disruptive, and looking for ways to vent my anger and disagreement, I’m certainly not listening to the other side. I’m not allowing myself the opportunity to learn about another’s experiences and viewpoints. I’m not allowing myself the benefits of being able to grow and to perhaps change or alter my own views. I’m not allowing myself to be educated. And I’m slamming the door shut on any attempt at meaningful dialogue and mutual understanding and respect.
We are all gardeners in our community garden. And this is a good time plow the soil, sow our seeds and help our community grow.
We need to pull the weeds of divisiveness and intolerance, and help each other grow a healthy community, rich in discussion and intellectual growth, compassion and kindness and mutual personal regard.
