In the midst of a deepening political divide that destroys friendships and breaks up families, I recently came upon a book* that might help us bridge that great chasm between the right and left.
It is interesting that data shows that people on both sides of the political debate feel that they are motivated by love, while the other side is motivated by hate. The 2016 election brought these feelings to a fever pitch. People didn’t just disagree with each other, they dismissed each other entirely. We started hearing the words “cancel culture,” where a celebrity would cancel someone who disagreed with their point of view, meaning they were to be written off, kept from working, and publicly disgraced.
Many years ago in the McCarthy era, certain people’s political views were also used against them. Many were unable to work because of their political stance and some underwent questioning by government officials. The cancel culture is no different and is a reminder of a particularly ugly chapter of our history.
The good news is that 93 percent of Americans hate how divided we have become.
Meanwhile, the other seven percent are getting rich and powerful, gathering social media followers by saying it’s OK to spew hatred at each other. This, says the author, “is insane.” Are there people who have truly contemptible ideas? Of course. But he says, “The greatness of the United States is persuading each other and thus making progress in terms of our values. The only way we can do that is by showing love to the other person, and being willing to hear another’s point of view.”
Our political leaders—both Democrat and Republican—have demonstrated that showing contempt for the opposition makes them more and more popular. But when the American public says they’ve had enough of that kind of talk, when we disengage from social media pundits who make those kinds of statements, our leaders too will change, because if they don’t they will lose power (and they don’t want to lose power).
Martin Luther King used to say you can only redeem a man when you love him. If we answer difficult questions with openness and understanding, we have a shot at bringing more unity to our relationships and perhaps better convey our own points of view. When you hate, someone else is profiting—not you. So, he says, 1. Cross off your list anyone on your side who says it’s ok to hate, and 2. Stop watching the “show”—those channels that work to crank up emotions (while giving you only half the news) to increase their ratings.
Finally, most important, 3. Remember that each of us has different experiences and different goals, which naturally lead to different points of view. As Americans we should respect each other, as Christians we should be kind to each other, and as human beings we should allow each person to hold the opinions that conscience dictates.
Acceptance is not just for the few who agree with everything we think,
Nancy
*Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt, by Arthur Brooks.
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