HomeOPINIONMake Dialogue Imperative Again

Make Dialogue Imperative Again

By THEODORE STABILE
Contributing Writer

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” This mis-attributed Gandhi quote encapsulates the unprecedented and preposterous nature of this election cycle.

Currently both president-elect Donald Trump and sitting president Barack Obama have called for all Americans to unify. After the exhilarating turbulence of the Republican and Democratic campaigns, the constant stream of happenings, controversies, sensationalism, and other absurdities culminated into an electoral map very few saw coming; I am satisfied that the election is over, yet a part of me never wants this political season to end. However, the end of the election does not mean the tension will expectantly fizzle and de-escalate merely from political figureheads wishing it so.

From my peers who did not support Trump or were generally apolitical, they expect his presidency to be nothing short of a wild card. They do, however, hope he is successful, as they agree with Obama’s sentiment that his success is the country’s success. Gridlock should now be a non-issue, especially considering the GOP had set an agenda similar to Trump’s policy proposals during the Republican National Convention and has also reclaimed majority in the Senate and House of Representatives.

With Obama’s guarantee of a peaceful transition of power, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren’s willingness to work with Trump so long as his polices benefit working families, the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of Mexico willing to renegotiate NAFTA, as well as Several foreign leaders such as Duterte, Putin and Assad willing to negotiate their foreign influence and relationships, indicate Trump has a lot of balls in his court. I believe we will have a much greater indication of the full impact of Trump’s presidency during his first 100 days in office. Personally, if the Federal Reserve remains unaudited, or the ball has not yet rolled on fixing the Veterans Association, if NAFTA or TPP are left untouched or the plan of repealing the Affordable Care Act and Common Core begin collecting dust, then Trump’s base and America at large will become greatly discontented.

Until then, the unknown is both terrifying and electrifying. The status quo has been shattered, the elites stunned, mainstream media thrown into an existential crisis and silent blue collar workers vindicated. The right has received another wake-up call for inclusivity and social progressivism and the left has been challenged to ironically become more tolerant to different ideas and less willing to assign labels. How we conduct ourselves now and monitor our elected officials and handle left and right wing extremists acting out of desperation and destructiveness will greatly determine if this change will be for the better or worse—in a political, economic and social sense.

I know I am not alone when I assert that this election, from a social and political standpoint, has opened my eyes to the fact that reality hates to hold hands with simplicity, and corruption, secrecy and falsehoods are the preferred Chinese finger traps of the elite to ensnare those who are disillusioned from or unable to seek the truth.

What is imperative in order to begin the “healing” process between the political aisles is patience and perspective. Presumptuousness, identity politics, and broad-brush mentalities have toxified political discussion, and it will require a passionate Chicago Kiss to these vices if we are to commit to understanding one another.

To dismiss people’s fears and hopes as nonsense or based in delusion, even if true in individual cases, will only complicate the process. Be scared, be excited, embrace every emotion you need in order to reach catharsis or come to terms with the result of the election. Afterwards, it is critical to embrace pure naked reason and logic, embrace personal responsibility and cognitive awareness of each other’s views, and retain a willingness to defend those views and embrace facts. For example, getting clickbait and race-baiting identity politics out of our diets and visiting substantive websites and resources for news and information is a great first step. This country made it through the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War; we shall overcome this period and rebound in a similar fashion.

What is needed now is dialogue, not confrontation, projection, isolation and demands for damage control, but an understanding and discussion of why people are afraid and hopeful for what a Trump presidency implicates. Talking it out is not the “be all end all” to unify everyone, of course, but it is a stupendous first step. Exchange your indignation not through fear and fists, but with concern and discussion.

On Nov. 12, there was a #NotMyPresident protest outside of the Albany Capitol building. There I had the grand opportunity to listen and talk with people on the other side of the political aisle and begin developing a greater understanding of their perspectives.

A retired elderly man named Greg believed that the division is too large to rectify. He has protested since the late 1960s, against George Wallace. He was empathetic to illegal im migrants, and believed that it’s best to cut toxic relations out of your life.

To my delighted surprise one speaker resonated with the crowd with her emotional pitch of a more statist society, where the state, rather than the federal government defends personal liberty. She, among others, stressed the importance of contacting local officials and voting, two notions that comfortably overlap on both the left and right wing.

A young adult who identified himself only as a member of the LGBT community professed that even should Trump change and switched his positions in a way that matched his own, he could not condone a candidate who he believed led a campaign fueled by hate and fear.

A black woman who identified as queer suggested that any means necessary should be taken to address racism, empowering her statement with a well-received “Black Power” chant, and she then claimed that people should be angry and not calm, and implicated that being peaceful all the time is not always viable.

A middle-aged woman claimed “We are the good guys,” and was followed by a college sophomore named Emily, who invoked classic African American literature with the line “wrong is not who we are,” as she told the story of her family who supported Trump. However, this was not an event that dealt totally in absolutes.

Another young woman implored the crowd to not block out people in their lives that voted for Trump, or to submit to an “Us vs Them” mentality.

“People who vote Trump are not our enemy,” she stated, “they have fears, listen and we will find common ground.”

The afternoon was filled with chants of “Love Trumps Hate,” “Climate Change is not a Hoax,” calls to abolish the Electoral College, pleas to organize and stand with each other, along with some more profane chants and posters. There was high energy throughout the event.

Sandy, who was a first-time voter, expressed that while she was not happy with the outcome, she was proud of herself and those who voted, and that the percentage of eligible voters who sat out this election must be addressed. Another young woman named Katie suggested that while it may be hard to avoid getting angry, it is necessary to have civil conversation and discourse with Trump supporters, if at the very least to remind ourselves that they are not comprised of strictly extremists and racists.

I commend the event for being peaceful and while I cannot agree with their emphasis on identity before character and their tenants of “cis privilege” and “white accountability,” their capacity to unify and support one another was commendable.

However, in that sense of unity and hodgepodge of ideas was an unorthodox situation.
In the middle of the event a man named Michael Pine, a Clinton supporter, spoke on the megaphone. He asked the crowd to put down their signs, and temporarily forget and put aside their names, race, gender and identity, and come together as one. The crowd had a schism in the middle of his speech. There were varying ideas of how far people should go to push their ideas for fighting against institutional injustice. Some vocally expressed disdain for the notion of foregoing gender and race and their inability to let go of their identity, and Pine reminded the crowd that “we all have a voice” and to “love each other for what we are.”

Towards the end of the event, another man named Tyler Weaver and his wife Aimee were given the microphone. Mr. Weaver, who turned out to be a Trump supporter, proclaimed that we all have the same right to free speech and said he identified as an American. He went on to say that he felt it was sad to see that so many people don’t respect democracy, and was drowned out by another round of “Love Trumps Hate” chants.

Almost immediately after, however, Pine approached Mr. and Mrs. Weaver as they were leaving the event, and said that it was unfair that they weren’t able to fully exercise their right to free speech. The three of them then discussed their individual views and respectfully agreed and disagreed on issues, articulating their points on National Security, Trump’s vice president Mike Pence, privilege, jobs, leadership and language. Mr. Pine then invited the two to sit on a nearby bench to continue their conversation.

Sitting on a bench and having an earnest talk. I couldn’t think of a better allegory for what we should do to unify, and it was unfolding in front of me. It was beautiful, almost a divine example of people, all with different experiences and political leanings, coming together to develop a mutual understanding and gain information of the other side. Both Pine and Mr. Weaver came to an agreement that the biggest barrier we have is the amount of fighting in politics, that both sides have created a society of hate. The three then discussed the best way to approach this type of society, and bounced back ideas such as a greater willingness to drop your guard and communicate, be less prone to offense, and use social media.

At its core, I want this article to be an invitation to dialogue. Rather than just channel our hopes and fears, we shall reach out and together set the community example of unity, solidarity, tolerance and sing a harmony of cultural diffusion and understanding. If regressive policies and oppression make their way onto our campus and government I shall stand with you and stamp it out, and likewise I ask you to stand with me to stamp out those who would incite violence, riots or shut down discussion and debate, and those who exploit minorities and the grievances of those with weaker voices as emotional shields.

I ask you to cheer with me when our president-elect and government do succeed for us, and offer your unbridled critique when they falter. Believe in this nation’s checks and balances and recognize the bias that tantalizes all of our views and perceptions. In the great words of Sportacus from “Lazy Town,” “Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t mean they’re not your friend.”

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1 COMMENT

  1. Great job Ted! Well thought out and balanced with examples not just “talk”. Good Luck and keep up with the cause – Communication is everything.

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