Civility, Conversation & Compassion in Politics

I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual forum of the Common Ground Alliance of the Adirondacks. I joined, unsure what to expect, other than it was a gathering of stakeholders interested in discussing what works and what doesn’t in our communities.  As the day’s events got underway, I learned that the forum's theme was “Conversations that Strengthen Our Community.” Considering the current environment, I believe Common Ground Alliance did well to select this theme, as many of us believe that there has been a dangerous increase in polarization and a growing tendency to demonize groups with opposing viewpoints.  

When we view those we disagree with as the enemy and assign labels like fascist, socialist, racist, intellectually inferior, lazy or un-American, then we eliminate any possibility of constructive dialogue regarding the problems facing our communities—and the problems are many.  Regardless of the issue, how could any of us engage with someone that we already view as incapable or unworthy of having a valid opinion?  All of us, regardless of political ideology, must recognize that political discourse and disagreement are not only inherent to our democracy but desirable.  No one political group or ideology owns the manual for solving the complex problems facing our Country. If this American experiment is to succeed, it will require everyone to engage in political discourse, and we are all responsible for ensuring that room for those conversations exists by not marginalizing or demonizing those we disagree with.   

To have conversations that strengthen our communities, it is helpful to understand why dialogue is integral to a functioning democracy.  One of the most obvious, yet often most difficult to accept, is the simple truth that on any given issue, we could be wrong—and even if not wrong, our positions may be less synthesized or developed than they could be if we considered alternative arguments.  Accepting this reality is not always easy and ultimately requires humility.  Conversation and dialogue can strengthen our original position or lead to a more nuanced, synthesized viewpoint through a deeper understanding of the issue and examination of counterarguments.  This is how solutions to complex problems are ultimately achieved and why conversation is so important for a functioning democracy. Intuitively, of course, most of us already recognize this.  While we may be loath to consider the positions of our political opponents, in more mundane daily experiences, most of us recognize that conversations with our spouse, children, parents, family members, co-workers, community neighbors and friends often impact our decisions and viewpoints.  Political dialogue is similarly important in developing considered positions and solutions to the many problems facing our communities and our Country.

There is another fundamental reason conversations are important beyond the aim of a more thoughtful, considered position.  The idea of denying a voice to those we disagree with is inherently counter to the ideals of our democracy.  America is a pluralist republic that recognizes the inevitability of diversity in opinions and interests that are represented by a multitude of groups and organizations.  In short, our democracy was founded on the idea that everyone should have a voice through the ballot, their elected representatives, and the interest groups they support, and while those in the majority will always be able to exert greater influence on outcomes, when governing we are nevertheless called upon to ensure all Americans are included in the conversation and never excluded from participation. 

Beyond the democratic ideal of inclusiveness, there are practical considerations that support the virtues of conversation and compromise as well.  If we were to believe that the majority has a mandate to disregard the minority, then there would be neither stability nor continuity in governance.  Each time one group assumed the majority, they would simply reverse prior decisions.  There are recent examples of majority overreach, and we have seen the calamitous results this has created in markets and international relationships.  In the end, considering alternative opinions and seeking to find common ground and compromise is virtuous for both practical and democratic reasons.

Even if we accept the premise that conversations are important, it is still not easy to engage with those we disagree with. The current political environment makes this reality pretty clear.  That said, it may be easier to do so if we recognize that there is more that unites us than divides us.  It is often too easy to accept a narrative that posits that any given issue has only two opposing answers and that each of these is owned by either the liberals or the conservatives: republicans hate immigrants and democrats want them to pour in through open borders; republicans want to strip away all safety nets for our poor and aging and democrats have no value for self-reliance; republicans are for national security and democrats are against the military.  If we accept this zero-sum construct, it is easy to understand why we see those with opposing views as the enemy.  This false narrative benefits our political parties, but not our democracy.  While there are exceptions to every rule and extremes in any group, there is often significantly more agreement among those with opposing ideologies than we acknowledge and the opinions of most Americans do not exist on one end of a polarized spectrum, but contain significantly more nuance and overlap.  This is not to say that there are not significant policy disagreements between conservatives and liberals and even if we recognize some commonalities, overcoming the substantive differences is still a difficult task.  

In the end, having conversations with those we disagree with is as difficult as it is important for our democracy.  If we are to be successful in this endeavor, we must fight the temptation to demonize those with opposing viewpoints and demonstrate compassion towards all Americans who seek to make this a more perfect Union by engaging in the political discourse.  From this compassionate position, we can recognize that many of us share the same struggles, aspirations, hopes, and fears, and will be better equipped to include everyone in the conversation.  In the end, our own positions and our democracy will be stronger for it.  Together we can!