The discourse among us is pretty ragged right now. I cannot be so arrogant as to suggest a formula for everyone to change how they operate as individuals or how they go about changing our national behavior. But I can offer up some experiences and some ideas that might stimulate others to pursue something similar.
In the ever changing world of political discourse, events still surprise, disappoint and encourage me all in the space of a couple of weeks. Following are some recent examples of the above for me.
A good friend and I just spent 10 wonderful days fishing in the bucolic setting of southwestern Ontario. He is a staunch, traditional Republican and a self-proclaimed conservative. I, of course, am a raving, left-wing, lunatic. Since we weren’t enjoying the rants of Fox News or MSNBC, we had to spend the marvelous, moonlit evenings talking. That’s right. Conversation was our routine. Imagine that if you can.
What transpired from these conversations were amicably derived, problem-solving points covering everything from term limits to budget balancing to real health care reform to public education to people actually having to work for their money to equitable taxation, etc., etc. After a time, we paused and looked at each other and had the same realization: This was the way our government should work. We should be Reid and McConnell, while they should be out fishing on a lake. More would get done for the good of the country. But then we realized that we were just "ordinary" citizens, not qualified to govern or make critical decisions. Darn! No lobbyists banging on our doors. No corporate handouts to vote their bidding.
The other major realizations between my friend and I were that the Republican Party no longer represents his brand of conservatism, and that I am not really that far left of center enough to be red. We were actually close enough to reach across the table to shake hands philosophically, patriotically and politically. What a way to cement a friendship! What a concept!
The other day I found out that I was a magician. Whenever I make statements about our economy, the state of taxation, real investment in education and the real social responsibilities of business, Republicans disappear. I was surrounded by Republicans one day last week when a very nice conservative/independent lady and I were discussing the state of affairs. I voiced my opinion on people actually paying their fair share of the tax burden without having to resort to loophole searching by tax attorneys. I also asked why companies like GE pay no taxes to OUR government while hiding their profits overseas. I asked why the wealthy continue to ship their big money to Swiss and Bahamian banks to avoid paying U.S. taxes. I looked up and we were suddenly alone. Magic. We both laughed. Say the magic words and clear the room. We both also realized that that is how it is here in Republican dominated central Texas. My friends, including conservatives, liberals and independents, are feeling increasingly like bright points of light in an otherwise deep black background of hype and lies.
Starting after Labor Day, the next national election cycle will swing into an even more frenetic pace than it currently is. The lies and the polls, the promises and the money, the finger-pointing and the posturing will permeate the national discourse. One of my frustrated liberal friends pointed to the article by Eugene Robinson about the electorate being like spoiled children wanting the fixes to be instantaneous while lurching between Republican and Democrat and back again. She opined that the memory is short among these spoiled children, and that maybe the Republicans should be given power again to finish the job of dismantling the economy for the benefit of the rich and corporate America while public education goes further down the tubes due to No Child Left Behind and its next generation fiasco, Race to the Top. Even I am not that cynical, but you get the idea about people’s frustration with our non-functioning government and our discordant dialog between points of view.
Maybe it was the calls of the Arctic Loons, the soaring of eagles and the silence of a north woods lake that promoted that discussion with my friend. We saw a wolf swimming across the mirrored lake one morning. We caught and released more fish than we could count. We saw and felt peace. And that peace brought about intelligent discussion. Maybe that’s how we should all go about doing things: Take the time to feel the peace and let our brains recharge instead of having them charged up by talking heads.