"Who are you voting for?"
"Blue Lives or Black Lives?"
"Republican or Democrat?"
"Do you believe in the second amendment?"
The list goes on and on. There are hundreds of loaded questions that, in this political climate, can lead to outrage. The problem is that the outrage is not at the system for causing problems, or "The Man" for dividing a country full of people; rather, the outrage is from one ordinary citizen to another, for simply disagreeing. And that is all that these questions do: divide us.
People come from all walks of life, with different upbringings and experiences, different ideas of right and wrong and different ways of viewing issues. This is a fantastic and amazing opportunity. However, we have lost sight of that. Instead of taking the opportunity to learn from someone who has different opinions, people immediately shut over anyone with a differing opinion or stance on something.
We look for conversation that makes us feel good, conversations that solidify our point of view, and leave us feeling like there is no way we could ever be wrong. The problem is that this is all, completely and entirely, wrong.
Open conversation is the only thing that can save us.
Instead of asking direct questions that categorize people into "Us" or "Them," we should simply ask, "What do you think?"
Because the fascinating thing is that people are genuinely diverse, and capable of thinking. The general belief is that people have clear-cut, black or white opinions that have no gray-scale in between. But simply assuming that someone is a liberal Democrat or a hard-nosed Republican is to sell everyone short. The best example is from a coworker, who after discussing some recent events, simply said, "I am a liberal, but definitely not a Democrat."
People do not want to be confined to either one extreme or another. And that is exactly what the current political climate is doing. The gray area between the two major parties is becoming smaller and smaller, the gap in opinions has become a gaping abyss, and it is only becoming worse. The politicians that are supposed to represent us are simply dividing us. The Republican and Democratic leaders are leading the charge in the close-minded approach to issues. They are eliminating the possibility of compromise, and the abyss is simply growing.
Our leaders are setting the stage for close-minded hate. They set the tone of conversations, in which we simply look for someone to agree with us. They show us to simply degrade and discredit anyone with a differing opinion.
Open conversation is the only thing that can save us from this.
The key is that which many have lost: an open mind. Open conversation requires an open mind, because we are bound to hear something that we don't like or don't agree with, something that completely challenges our beliefs and makes us feel a bit icky. We can no longer allow our pride to hinder us. Through our open conversation, we may find that we are wrong, and that our beliefs are actually harming rather than helping. We cannot follow the political leaders in their maniacal refusal to compromise or hear the opposite side. We cannot continue to put others in neat categories, and proceed to demonize those with differing opinions.
There is no harm in hearing what an opposing view may be. It will not kill us, harm us or destroy our morals. The only way open conversation is going to happen is if we open our minds, lay down our loyalties, set aside our pride and ask:
"What do you think?"
