Name: Making a case for the work we have to do after the election: Letter from the Editor
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Making a case for the work we have to do after the election: Letter from the Editor

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NEW!506sharesWhatever happens Tuesday, can we get back to talking to each other?And listening?About substance?I’ve had a unique vantage point this election season, hearing from no end of people who are anxious and angry about what comes next. They’ve directed a lot of fury at me, because of content we’ve published, and the most common suggestion I’ve received of late is to stick my head in a place my lack of flexibility prevents.What’s been interesting is how little anyone discusses the specifics of what is at stake Tuesday. They don’t write about climate change, national debt, education or health care.Instead, it’s all us vs them. Democrats believe Donald Trump is a power-hungry madman who will somehow erase the Constitution and replace Democracy with authoritarianism, destroying our country in the process. Republicans believe Joe Biden will convert the country to some vague boogeyman notion of socialism, destroying our country in the process.We will not, of course, become authoritarian or socialist. The bones of our government are too strong to be broken by one man in the White House. Our ideals will persist. Democracy will prevail.Many of the notes I received focus solely on winning. Republicans or Democrats. Who gets the White House. How many seats can one side win or lose in the Senate and the House. It’s been all about tribe and not about country.Gov. Mike DeWine told me recently his mom used to write a column for her local newspaper to explore the view from the right side of the political spectrum. Its intent was illumination, not condemnation. It aimed to help people understand another point of view.With this election season ending, can we get back to that? The echo chambers of Facebook and Twitter have convinced so many of us that we are at war with each other, when we are not. No matter our political stripe, we have common goals. Economic success. Safety. Health. Freedom. We often don’t agree on how to get there, but the goals are the same.Do we have what it takes to pull our heads out of the caustic stew of social media and start compromising again?As but one example, consider the debate over another proposed stimulus package to help people get through the pandemic. Many believe too many Americans and small businesses exist on a precipice and will fall off without some sort of government help. Others look at our national debt and fear what happens if we keep going deeper into the red, no matter how pure our motives.Wouldn’t you love to hear people on both sides of that debate exploring ways to compromise? What would happen if, in good faith, a debt hawk and a pro-stimulus advocate sat down to find a way to meet in the middle? Without consideration for which side “wins.” And wouldn’t you love to read columns by people on both sides of that issue acknowledging the merits of both arguments instead of having an all-or-nothing approach? Where was that kind of thing during this election cycle?For another example, consider greenhouse gases. We know that humans are endangering the planet with our use of fossil fuels. We also know that a lot of people earn a living in industries that burn those fuels. So, what happens if the people focused on cutting emissions sit down with those who would be harmed by emissions reductions, to negotiate a transition to a cleaner future, with the federal government helping subsidize the changeover. It seems pretty simple, but the people on both sides of the issue are barking at each other, not listening.We’re guilty here, too. We’ve printed too many columns and letters about the horse race of politics and too few that help to illuminate the perspectives of the right and left, the way DeWine’s mom did. As we get past this election season, we’ll work harder to find and feature columnists who illuminate, instead of those who deepen the divisions.You can help, too. Before you write that angry letter or email, to me or anyone else, please take a moment to fold your hands and breathe, to think about whether you more effectively make your point with angry invective or civil, clear-minded discussion. You have a position. What’s the strategy most likely to result in it being understood and considered?No matter who wins Tuesday, we have work to do. The president these next four years needs our help. If it’s Donald Trump, will the country be better off if those who voted against him continue to light up social media with hate, or would we all be better served by trying to work with him to get some things done? If it is Joe Biden, will repeatedly calling him a socialist get us anywhere, or would we be better served by well-considered suggestions for reaching our shared goals?Look, this column is 800-some words in an election season of millions. It will be forgotten in a millisecond, but I hope, now that this season is coming to an end, that we all can remember who we are – Americans – and how we used to get things done.After Tuesday, let’s start talking. Let’s pull our heads out of Facebook and have some actual give-and-take conversations with people who have differing points of view. Let’s put aside the rage and see each other again as kindred spirits with a shared set of goals.Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

NEW!506sharesWhatever happens Tuesday, can we get back to talking to each other?And listening?About substance?I’ve had a unique vantage point this election season, hearing from no end of people who are anxious and angry about what comes next. They’ve directed a lot of fury at me, because of content we’ve published, and the most common suggestion I’ve received of late is to stick my head in a place my lack of flexibility prevents.What’s been interesting is how little anyone discusses the specifics of what is at stake Tuesday. They don’t write about climate change, national debt, education or...

Making a case for the work we have to do after the election: Letter from the Editor

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