The Great American Political Divide (and One Way to Come Together)

Participants of Utah's First Red Blue Workshop 

“Anyone who supports Trump must be stupid. Trump is a despicable person, an embarrassment to the country, and anyone who endorses him is not worthy of respect!”

 “We are in a war of good vs. evil, and those liberal Democrats are evil, attacking good family values!”

If you’ve seen comments like this on your social media, then you will not be surprised to hear that we have a wide and often vitriolic political divide in this country. The Pew Research Center reports that the gap on political values is more than twice as wide as in 1994 (15% compared to 36%) and that around 45% of each party view the opposite party unfavorably. Indeed, many believe that the opposing party is not only wrong but dangerous.

In such a climate of opposition, is it any wonder that Congress has trouble passing legislation? If we won’t even listen to each other, how can we solve the problems of our country? 

I wrote about the problem as I saw it last May, and ended the post with a mention of a Better Angels Workshop I planned to help organize. Now I want to tell you about what happened in that workshop.

First, a little bit about the Better Angels organization. After the 2016 election, a couple of friends belonging to opposite political parties decided the country would benefit from a better understanding of those with differing political opinions. From this desire grew a bipartisan non-profit citizens’ movement called Better Angels. The name borrows from Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address: 

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory…will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” (Abraham Lincoln, 1861, First Inaugural Address)

Better Angels works to bring Red and Blue Americans together to have respectful and civil civic conversations. Rather than attempt to change the other sides' mind, participants work to1)understand the other side’s point of view,  2) look for common ground and ways to work together, and 3) support principles that bring us together rather than divide us. 

On a Saturday in July, eighteen people gathered in Provo for Utah’s first Better Angels Workshop. Participants included two trained moderators, six Blues (on the leaning liberal or Democratic spectrum), six Reds (on the leaning conservative or Republican spectrum),and several observers. The workshops always invite an equal number of each side, so that one viewpoint does not dominate the others. We sat around a table –Red, Blue, Red, Blue. I (a straight Mormon Republican woman) sat between a gay man on one side and a transgender woman on the other. And you know what? I enjoyed getting to know them.

The activities of the workshop were carefully planned to allow us to learn about each other. First, we divided into our teams and addressed stereotypes we felt the other side had about us, examining why the stereotypes were wrong and any kernels of truth within them. This got hard feelings on the table and out of the way, and helped us realize how stereotypes are harmful to discussion. This was followed with both sides sharing why they believe their side’s values and positions are best for our country. Then we had an opportunity to ask each other sincere "curiosity questions."

Reflecting on the experience, one participant stated, “I learned that not all conservatives are fascists.”  Another said, “I was really touched to hear the Blue side speak of our Constitution with such reverence.”  Several spoke of wanting to listen better to those with differing political perspectives. One summed up our feelings, “I feel cautiously optimistic about the future of the country.”

So that is what happened at the first Better Angels workshop in Utah. 

Are you intrigued by the possibilities for understanding and progress? Do you wonder what you can do to improve our political climate?  

For one thing, you could check out Better Angels. Consider joining; you will be connected with others in our state who are working to combat polarization.

But even if you don’t do that, try reaching out to those who differ from you politically. Here are some ideas:

·      Try not to pre-judge. 

·      Listen to each other. 

·      Seek to understand reasons behind beliefs.

·      Find areas of agreement.

·      Look for ways to work together for the good of the community and the country.

Disagreeing is not the problem. We need to have different ideas of what is good for the community and the country. That is what it means to be a democracy. Disagreement is built into the Constitution, the two-party system, and our legislative process. 

The problem comes when we assume the other side is irrational and evil. If we believe that, we cannot work toward good policies that benefit the entire country. 

Instead, let us realize that even if we disagree, we are not enemies. Let us listen to each other and to the “better angels of our nature," putting the needs of our country first.