Street Smart

A friend made a comment about this column the other day that really resonated with me. She said that she and her husband really enjoy the column and have had some great conversations after reading it. Obviously, I was pleased to hear that they enjoy the column, but it was her comment about the great conversations they had after reading it that meant more. For me, that’s what it’s all about. I think that the ability to have those discussions (particularly the tough ones) is a dead, or at minimum, dying art form.

I’ve explained before, that when this all started in The Ledger, writing an ‘opinion column’ was something I had never done. When I went into this, I had no idea what to expect. It’s been interesting, challenging and rewarding. Sometimes it’s even been fun! The only preconception I had about an opinion column was that it should be thought provoking. My friend’s comment made me believe that I’d accomplished that.

Last week’s editorial in The Ledger was interesting to me too. I completely agree with the sentiment expressed, that the truth (and usually the resolution) of nearly any contested matter is generally somewhere in the middle. Thirty-three years of often intense/heated conflict resolution taught me the truth of that statement. Success lies in getting the stake holders involved in the conflict to discuss the matter openly and honestly. The ability to discuss complex issues seems to be completely missing in our political process!

I’m a bit of a collector of quotes and one in particular seemed pertinent to my topic; Aristotle is credited with stating, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” So why can’t we seem to communicate with one another? Why are we so polarized?

I’ll use a couple of past events to highlight this problem. I blame social media for all the attention the following incidents received. I believe that social media is a huge problem for this nation politically. People who don’t really warrant any attention often receive a boatload of it because of the inflammatory nature of their posts. Others then take these posts as truth and compound the problems! I’d be thrilled to learn that President Trump loaned his cell phone to Hillary Clinton so she could smash it. I digress…sorry!

On October 6, 2019, Ellen DeGeneres was filmed sitting next to former President George Bush watching a football game. Social media went nuts and many people were extremely critical of her for watching a football game with someone they despise. I don’t get it. I’ve never met Ellen DeGeneres, but I’d like to. She seems to have a great personality and definitely a quick wit. She’s also extraordinarily generous. She and I would definitely not be on the same page politically but so what!? She’s obviously someone I could have a meaningful discussion with (see Aristotle above). Because of the uproar on social media, she felt compelled to defend herself. When asked about the incident she said, “When I say, ‘Be kind to one another,’ I don’t mean only the people that think the same way I do. I mean be kind to everyone.” She didn’t back down a bit. Gotta love that!

Next…does anyone remember the uproar when Kanye West met with President Trump in the White House? Again, many social media users lost their minds. So did some in mainstream media. Commentators on CNN used terms to describe Kanye West that most media outlets won’t print or broadcast. Why? Because Kanye West had the audacity to meet with someone they disagree with and don’t like? Absolutely childish, but the event received a great deal of attention.

There are other instances, but these two were glaring and made my point. It’s all about this polarization in our country. People who can’t communicate effectively think that everything is an argument. Why can’t we simply talk with one another?

I know that those two examples sound like I’m bashing the left and, although unintentional, I can see why it looks that way. However, when researching all this, I never read a single story about the opposite happening. For example, did anyone read an article in conservative media criticizing President Trump for meeting with Kanye West? Did anyone ever hear that former President Bush was a fool or some sort of traitor for watching a football game with Ellen DeGeneres. Those stories might be out there in some radical publication, but I haven’t seen them. I’m quite aware that there are liberal and conservative publications all over the internet. So, to be fair, I googled looking for articles that may have been critical of President Trump or former President Bush for meeting/talking with West and DeGeneres. All the hits I got were liberal media bashing them both while conservative publications supported them.

So what next? How do we get past this “us versus them” mentality? Our politicians certainly aren’t setting a very good example. The relationship between President Trump and Nancy Pelosi has devolved to the point that I don’t believe it can be saved. So, we have two of the most powerful people in the nation too entrenched in their views to communicate effectively. Every time I watch the news (any outlet…you pick it!) all I see is name calling and finger pointing. No effective discussions. This is a national problem, but I think our politicians on both sides of the aisle set the tone.

One more quote; Winston Churchill said, “You’ll never get anywhere if you stop to throw rocks at every dog that barks.” Instead of throwing rocks…let’s talk.

Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls. He can be reached by email at [email protected].