Embracing Civil Discourse in a Noisy Political Arena

When voicing your opinions, keep in mind that any toddler can throw a fit, but they rarely win an argument. Individualized ideas have taken a back seat to partisanship. Weak-minded citizens often mold their personalities around party affiliation, rather than prioritizing independent thinking. Political talking points are memorized and regurgitated a hundredfold, each time with a dash more anger, creating an endless loop. Sure it’s fun to drink out of a “Liberal Tears” mug, but it doesn’t advance any political goals. Spoiler alert – your bumper stickers are doing little more than ruining your paint job. 

All said, I get it. It’s hard not to get angry. I’m far from a moderate and have strong opinions. You do too. However, the “why do we have to take it?” mentality represents little more than ineffective whining. Take pride in your beliefs. Believe it or not, it is possible to have political discourse without creating a more ardent opponent. There is an ace in the hole when arguing conservative values – logic. A  ‘liberal’ mind is powered by emotion, noble in theory but ineffective in practice. There is no reason to show anger. After all, beyond any facts presented, a strong-minded liberal opponent is still a subject matter expert on their opinions. 

However, while staying civil, we aren’t confined to the sidelines to take it. No. Discourse must occur to foster any growth. In a room full of ayes, only the loudest voice gains control. Dissenting opinions must be presented. This is especially true in an era where being progressive and woke is all the rage.  Holding traditional values and making faith-based decisions isn’t trendy and there are plenty of obnoxious opponents to be found. It’s acceptable and understandable to be upset, but keep your dignity intact. Let it be known that you don’t stand for it but don’t sell your soul in the pursuit of changing someone’s mind that doesn’t want to be changed.

People rarely change their stance from being hostilely informed that their views are stupid or otherwise insinuating a lack of intelligence. On the contrary, when confronted aggressively, there is a strong tendency to dig your heels in to ensure you save face. Instinctively, we respond the same. Unless the intent is to gain approval from your already like-minded friends, remain civil. If the concept sounds difficult, I recommend reading ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’  by Dale Carnegie. It is not. Slinging insults is easy, but it takes an intentional effort to ensure any information you share is from an informed position, rather than jumping on the nearest bandwagon. This is a duty that all citizens are charged with. Once achieved, share it. 

Take the time to become informed. Find a platform, partake in civil discourse, or write your senator. Use your voice to advocate for what you believe in, while always maintaining dignity and respect in discourse. Otherwise, you become another dime-a-dozen angry voices in the crowd. If you refuse to speak out and avoid discourse, including intraparty disagreement, quit complaining. Mr. Lincoln is likely seated on his heavenly perch looking at us now. He’s shaking his bony fist at us saying, “A house divided cannot stand, ya damn fools!” Ineffective squawking will continue to feed extreme polarization until all votes fall along party lines. Democracy will be lost to the loudest voices and they likely won’t share your views. Be a voice people want to listen to. Help solve problems rather than partaking in manufacturing new ones.