There are no winners here. But I think that's part of the problem. We all want to win. We don't just want to have our views heard, and maybe even acted upon by decision-makers, but we also want to annihilate the "other side." We now label ourselves according to our politics, and you must take a side. Now, people are afraid to express eve…
There are no winners here. But I think that's part of the problem. We all want to win. We don't just want to have our views heard, and maybe even acted upon by decision-makers, but we also want to annihilate the "other side." We now label ourselves according to our politics, and you must take a side. Now, people are afraid to express even tolerance for other views, for fear of being branded. The stakes are high, now, too. If you're publicly branded, you could lose your job, and thus your home and possibly family. I feel our PM has stoked these divisions with his hate-filled rhetoric, claiming virtue and morality. But there's nothing virtuous in his words, goading people into intolerance of those who don't share his views. His irresponsibility has monumental consequences. Tara, I think you're so right when you say that we've lost curiosity about the complicated reasons people have for their views, decisions and beliefs. We're all guilty of this, not just "them" -- whoever "they" may be. That curiosity could come from the top, and we'd all be better served, but ultimately we're all responsible.
There are no winners here. But I think that's part of the problem. We all want to win. We don't just want to have our views heard, and maybe even acted upon by decision-makers, but we also want to annihilate the "other side." We now label ourselves according to our politics, and you must take a side. Now, people are afraid to express even tolerance for other views, for fear of being branded. The stakes are high, now, too. If you're publicly branded, you could lose your job, and thus your home and possibly family. I feel our PM has stoked these divisions with his hate-filled rhetoric, claiming virtue and morality. But there's nothing virtuous in his words, goading people into intolerance of those who don't share his views. His irresponsibility has monumental consequences. Tara, I think you're so right when you say that we've lost curiosity about the complicated reasons people have for their views, decisions and beliefs. We're all guilty of this, not just "them" -- whoever "they" may be. That curiosity could come from the top, and we'd all be better served, but ultimately we're all responsible.