Summary

Haven’t we all heard that phrase over and over again? If we listen to the people who describe the division, it seems like one side has it all right and the other side is somewhere between imbecilic and evil--perhaps both. Tell me if you have heard either or both of these assessments. “The voters on the other side are racists, sexists, xenophobes and generally uneducated. Furthermore, many of them used their votes to betray their gender and race.” Or, alternatively, “The voters on the other side are looking to spend money that is not theirs in order to get everything free, everything from college to healthcare to food and housing. Furthermore, many of them are not qualified to vote in the first place.”

Those assessments are based on all the wrong assumptions, which, in turn, are based on the wrong questions. Let’s work through that today and come up with the right questions and issues. When we do that, our differences can, and should, become our strengths--not potentially our demise.

Transcript

Haven’t we all heard that phrase over and over again? If we listen to the people who describe the division, it seems like one side has it all right and the other side is somewhere between imbecilic and evil--perhaps both. Tell me if you have heard either or both of these assessments. “The voters on the other side are racists, sexists, xenophobes and generally uneducated. Furthermore, many of them used their votes to betray their gender and race.” Or, alternatively, “The voters on the other side are looking to spend money that is not theirs in order to get everything free, everything from college to healthcare to food and housing. Furthermore, many of them are not qualified to vote in the first place.”

Those assessments are based on all the wrong assumptions, which, in turn, are based on the wrong questions. Let’s work through that today and come up with the right questions and issues. When we do that, our differences can, and will, become our strengths--not potentially our demise.

We allow ourselves to be all wrapped up with labels; political leanings in general, specific party affiliations in particular, and identities like gender, race, sexual preference, religious affiliation--and whatever else the label makers can come up with to divide us. Yes, divide us. They need to keep us divided along lines they outline so that we will have to choose up sides, and remain loyal to the side that has been chosen for us.

And these labels, political parties, identity groups, etc., are designed to steer us in one direction or the other when it comes to key issues in our communities and our world. Issues like immigration, healthcare, education, geography and abortions. And climate change and so many, many others. This formula, this equation, starts with labels and uses those labels to steer us toward selecting our stance on the issues of the day, and the political allegiance based on those labels.

We are working the equation backwards. And when we approach any task backwards, we wind up in a jam. The jam we are in today is a deep, dysfunctional and widening division in our country. If we do not do something, starting now, we will fail. The world’s oldest democracy, the most powerful nation, militarily and economically, the world has ever seen, will totter and fall. “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” -Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States.

Here’s how qet get a head start on fixing things; start with finding common goals instead of starting with labels. I promise you that with people of good intentions and goodwill, there is no topic, no issue, no matter how controversial, were we cannot come together and find common goals. To do that, we first need to ask the right questions. Let’s look at some examples: