The increasingly rancorous interactions between conservatives
and liberals cry out for some sort of mediation or reconciliation, but I wonder
if it is still feasible to find middle ground.
Have things gone so far that empathy and compromise are impossible?
I know that my conservative friends are not bad people. I know that on a personal, one-on-one level
they are good people with compassion and basic values that are very similar to
mine. So why do they come to such
radically different conclusions about public policy than the ones that I reach?
One aspect of the current polarization that I find difficult to move past is the Faustian bargain many conservatives have made in embracing Donald Trump. I understand that they were frustrated and yearning for a strong voice, and that they see Trump as a game-changer for the conservative cause. But the man is a dangerous demagogue who has character traits that seem to me to be the exact opposite of the morality and integrity that conservatives have long celebrated. His lack of humility, incivility and reckless rhetoric can only further divide this nation. I know that many of my conservative friends see him as a means to an end rather than a sterling example for humanity, but this is a very dangerous game they are playing and there are potentially tragic consequences at stake.
The rhetoric on both sides has become so vitriolic that it
makes sensible discussion very challenging.
The right (most notably Trump) has villainized the immigrant with images of gangs and crime to
make its case for stronger borders and deportation of undocumented workers. The left has portrayed the right as hateful xenophobes
who have no compassion or conscience. Not
long ago there were bi-partisan efforts to craft a reasonable immigration
policy but we are now so polarized that any compromise seems a distant dream.
But are we really so far apart on this issue? Liberals understand that there must be some
control of immigration and I believe conservatives can understand and
sympathize with the desperation and fear that propels immigrants to our
country. Can we not jettison the
divisive rhetoric and sit down and find a reasonable path forward? Does it make sense for us to demonize the
other side (or the immigrants) to make our argument?
Abortion, gay marriage and other hot button religious issues
are also blown out of proportion. Pro
choice proponents are not eager to see abortions occur. On the contrary, they want to see less
abortions through an increased availability of contraceptives, family planning
and sex education. I am sure that most
conservatives realize that going back to the old days of coat hanger, backroom
abortions is not a viable option. The
abortion rate has been decreasing steadily over the last thirty years and is
only slightly higher than the rate before Roe vs. Wade! There is certainly an opportunity to work together
to minimize abortions without creating draconian legal consequences.
Gay marriage and transsexual rights are difficult concepts
for conservatives to accept, but there is now a large body of scientific
evidence that sexuality and gender identification are not binary but rather a
continuum, and that these behaviors or preferences are innate and not ‘choices’. Liberals should be empathetic with
conservatives who struggle to accept these cultural changes, as they do conflict
with sincere religious beliefs, but I believe this is an area where the younger
generation, regardless of political or religious orientation, has already
accepted these facts en masse and will lead the way forward.
Gun control is a very difficult issue for me to find common
ground with conservatives. I doubt that
we will truly reduce the epidemic of gun violence in this country until we have
rigorous licensing and control of guns, something that appears to be anathema
and a non-starter for many conservatives, even when hunting rights are assured. The evidence from other developed countries
where such rigid controls effectively eliminate gun violence do not seem to
have any effect on conservative thought.
The only way forward I would recommend is a truly bi-partisan study of
gun violence in this country, but any attempts to do such a study have been blocked
by mcongress. On this topic it is
difficult to find any reason for optimism, but perhaps some very timid beginnings
will be possible with the new congress.
The climate change issue is also one that deserves a less
adversarial approach. It appears that
many conservatives now accept the scientific evidence for human-caused climate
change. But they are understandably
concerned with the negative effect that any actions to address the problem
might have on our economy and they are suspicious of treaties or commitments
that would hamstring our country in comparison to others. Wouldn’t it make sense to have a bi-partisan
group of legislators, scientists and economists work together to craft policy
on this hugely important crisis?
Economic, tax and entitlement issues, including healthcare,
will continue to defy consensus. Any
three economists will come up with three different analyses. And when politicians enter the fray careful analysis
is no longer possible. Both liberals and
conservatives understand the basic concept that bureaucracy should be minimized
and that economic freedom is to be highly prized. But any reasonable person can also see that
in a complex, integrated, global society some level of government involvement
is necessary to prevent injustice and to create a more equitable society. Add to that the thirty-year-long growth of
wage disparity and the looming crisis of automation and the disappearance of
middle class jobs and you have a situation that clearly demands bi-partisan action.
I do not believe that conservatives are greedy, lack
compassion or are insensitive to economic hardship or disparity. But neither are liberals conniving socialists
who want to steal a wealthy man’s hard-earned riches to give to the idle
poor. These are stereotypes that are
useful for whipping up partisan outrage but they serve to harden our biases and
make reasonable compromise ever more difficult.
Social and economic engineering are complex and uncertain,
but we have no choice if we are to avoid the potential devastating effects of
the social, scientific and economic issues that confront us. It is time to stop the puerile name calling
and the perpetuation of stereotypes and vapid generalizations. The hard work of governing demands that we
abandon our partisan antics and roll up our sleeves to work together. We owe it to our children.
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