DEMOCRACY IS A GIVE AND TAKE: DON'T GO LOW, GO HIGH

By Marc Liebsen

I am not a "proud democrat." 

As far as I'm concerned, that party is "the lesser of two evils." The corruption among Democrats is bad. The corruption among Republicans is beyond belief or calculation. A two-party system is a "sure-fire" method to create polarity and gridlock. It strongly influences our democracy to behave as if it was two competing "pep-rallies." 

We are ALL citizens. We ALL have the right to our opinions. We also all have the right to better educate ourselves so that we can make better decisions. in fact, we owe that to our democracy (IMHO). The practice of insulting the citizens on the right, will not gain their cooperation, and we NEED their cooperation to move toward a functional and better society.

As Obama said, "When they go low, we (need to) go high)." As 'liberals" and "progressives," we must use our capacity for empathy for marginalized groups, and apply it to our citizens with whom we disagree. 

We don't need to "enable" them to run "roughshod" over the rights of other citizens. 

However, we do need to engage them in compassionate conversations in which we try to understand their concerns. If we "revile" them, blame them, judge them, and alienate them, then we contribute to the polarization of our society, and that actually makes them angry, more determined, less empathetic, and helps them to accomplish their "marginalizing" agenda. We need to work smarter (more empathy" and not harder (converting them into polarized enemies."

 This does NOT mean that we "agree" that racism, fascism, and marginalization are good ideas. Obviously, they are anti-human concepts. But, if we do not have a respectful dialog with them, and calmly discuss their concerns with them, then we actually contribute to polarization, and that empowers those misguided and dehumanizing values. 

We may have to decide this: would we rather participate in a "pep-rally," or would we rather contribute to a functional democracy. Contributing to citizen polarization leads to "divide and conquer." That is the very opposite of "united we stand, divided we fall." 

I beg you to stop labeling them as "stupid, immoral, monsters," and instead, please try to speak with them (compassionately) about their concerns, as well as history, civics, and the importance of the constitution. 

We can do that with compassion. We cannot effectively do that in any other manner, especially not in a belligerent manner. They simply will not hear such messages. Then we alienate them, make them feel more "righteous" in their crusades, and we risk what's left of our democracy. 

Our own "righteous indignation," expressed openly, only serves to help their agenda prevail. Basically, is it love which conquers hate, or is it hate which conquers hate? ...IMHO.... 

(By the way, these concepts do not apply to a sociopath, such as one who might reside on Pennsylvania Ave; but the majority of Republicans are not sociopaths or psychopaths.)