America in one room
I randomly caught a segment on the nightly news this evening that caught my attention. That is a pretty big achievement these days as I continue to tune out more and more political commentary. Dating myself, I am a bit like Sgt. Joe Friday on “Dragnet” who famously said in every episode, “Just the facts, ma’am.
Actually, Sgt. Friday never uttered those words. They were more loosely attributed to Dan Ackroyd, who said them in a parody movie. Still, they have become part of American culture, even more so in this political season when truth as we know it is, well, unknown.
The news segment spoke of a group of 400 young people that had gathered in Washington, D.C. recently to determine if first-time voters could discuss politics civilly. Another way of phrasing the project might be can voters advocate their own position without alienating those with opposing views.
In the past couple of weeks our political landscape has completely changed. President Biden has exited the race, leaving former President Trump as the oldest candidate in history. Political history is full of irony.
The internet and its ability to search any word or comment you have ever made makes life tough for any candidate, regardless of party. Unscrupulous social media sites spread misinformation in “America in One Room” challenged these young people to advocate for their own position, while listening to their new friends. The overriding question was what happens to politics when people come face to face. Watching their discussion was a lesson for all of us that have been to this rodeo before and have become jaded in the process.
These young voters spent four days in Washington away from the internet, an achievement we should all aspire to achieve. One participant correctly said that “It is harder to insult someone to their face because we want to be liked”. He went on to say that online discourse, particularly the comments sections, allows us to be “inhuman”.
In a part of the segment that I particularly liked, the report said they talked about issues rather than candidates. What a concept! They went to a baseball game together as well as touring the historic monuments in our nation’s Capital, which, by the way, belongs to us all.
During those four days, they talked and listened to each other. I wonder how much listening their elders are doing these days. They defended their positions and understood better those that believed differently.
The conclusion of the meeting was that in politics being polite was not only possible, it was productive.
It is possible, even in these times, that Americans can indeed seek to be in one room. Listen as we yell. Seek facts, even if not in your favor. Talk to those on the other side of your political views. Respect the political views of your lifelong friends, even if you disagree vehemently.
I have watched this non-partisan segment multiple times, which in full disclosure was on NBC News. I discovered young people teaching us how to have a civil political discourse with both friend and foe. Out of the mouth of babes.
o0o
Dan Ponder can be reached at [email protected]