I am worried about my country for the first time in my adult life. The divisions appear to be growing and instead of taking the time to understand each other’s pain, the “powers that be” appear to be more focused on redirecting blame that will inevitably make the situation worse.
The pain inflicted on our nation’s minority communities through systemic racism and inequality is real. The pain experienced by our nation’s blue collar workers as they watched their jobs evaporate is also real. (These wounds are not mutually exclusive, nor are these injuries the only injustices in our country.) Yet instead of listening to each other, I see so many people regurgitating dogma spewed by demagogues. (I’m beginning to wonder if the worst invention of the 21st century will be the “retweet” feature.)
One liberal friend asked me, “How can you be friends with him? Isn’t he a Republican?”
One conservative friend wondered how I could even consider hanging out with SJWs or “social justice warriors”.
I’m shocked that people would automatically exclude an individual from their life before getting to know them and trying to understand them (and their viewpoints). This mindset fragments our society.
While some problems require large-scale cooperation and government intervention, most solutions start with us: we the people. We need more tolerance in this country. Tolerance does not mean ignoring the status quo and sweeping problems under the rug. Tolerance allows individuals to live together and enables ongoing conversations to broaden our minds. Through tolerance and persistent engagement, we can form a more perfect union.
So, please, please:
- Reduce your dependence on social media.
- Go outside and enjoy the wonders of this world.
- Talk to people who might think different from you.
- Volunteer to help someone.
- Be part of the solution.