Opinion : Letter to the Editor: "Rules of Civil Conversation"

Dear Editor,

Aren't we all tired of the finger-pointing blame game? Can we have ONE CONVERSATION where neither side mentions party affiliation in their narrative? Republicans AND Democrats (read: ALL OF US) are to blame for where we are!

Everyone gets so bent out of shape on the TRIGGER words they are programmed to respond to! Many would rather argue til they are blue in the face than concede that they were wrong. All too often, people resort to name calling and character assassinations when presented with evidence that an alternative opinion is more accurate or a different solution may be more appropriate. Everyone is so damn certain that they are 100% correct, no one seems interested in an actual debate about real, scalable solutions.

This mentality is what got us where we are, and from where I sit, I see no end in sight... Great news for the powers that be that profit from our division! Very disappointing for our country and for the future of humanity as a whole! 

After "KNOW THYSELF" and "EVERYTHING IN MODERATION," the third maxim etched in stone at the Temple of the Oracle at Delphi is "CERTAINTY BRINGS RUIN." Never has the wisdom in those words been so apparently evident than when examining the pitfalls in America today! Virtually no one takes the time to truly KNOW themselves, and I'm not talking about likes, dislikes, hopes, fears, etc. I am talking about a deeper exploration of your psych, like:

*what drives you?

*where are your blind spots?

*what biases interfere in your life on a daily basis?

*what logical fallacies contribute to your limited world view?

*what are your shadow tendencies, and 

*how can you transmute these tendencies into positive qualities?

Most, if not all, people concern their gluttonous selves with satisfying the selfish wants of the ego, neglecting the universal needs of 'We the People.' Too many of us avoid short term discomfort and inconvenience at the expense of long term satisfaction and security. And the absolute certainty with which you all keep blathering on and on about is manifesting the dire condition of our current reality. You are wasting your precious time, energy, and resources by ADDING TO THE NEGATIVITY in this world. Energy that could be better spent on focusing to learn and grow yourself into a better person or contribute to real, positive, lasting change in your communities. Everyone from all walks of life is guilty of this! 

"Where your attention goes, your energy flows, and results show." T. Harv Eker

In the 90s, Donald Rumsfeld said something about "we don't know what we don't know." The press and public tore him apart, but he was trying to illustrate a very valid point! If you want to solve the problems of society, the best avenue to do so is to invite people that are different from you to join the discussion. Take a step out of your comfort zone and have a real conversation with your perceived enemy. So if you work in law enforcement and you think all addicts are criminals and degenerates... Go sit down and have a real, "off the record" conversation with someone in active addiction about drugs and alcohol. Or maybe you are a wealthy individual with disdain for the poor because you think that they are lazy or incompetent... Go sit down with someone that lives at the Park Apartments and ask to explore their income and expenses. 

These are just a couple of examples, but my point is that if you only understand a topic from your own point of view, or from perspectives similar to your own, then you don't have all of the information you need to make a fully informed, objective decision. As such, any solution you come up with will not only NOT solve the problems, it will potentially make things worse! I guarantee that if you take the time to approach difficult conversations with GENUINE curiosity, care, and compassion, the results will undoubtedly surprise you! You will gain greater insights into your own life and the world around you! We are all grown adults with our own experiences and areas of expertise, so belittling someone or dismissing their point of view entirely is as unproductive as it is sheer ignorance. And if you don't want to be part of the conversations that contribute to finding real solutions, then you ARE part of the problem.

I'm going to close this Letter to the Editor by urging you all to review and commit to the following "Rules of Civil Conversation" from an organization known as the School of Thought:

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Please check out www.therulesofcivilconversation.org for more information. I hope you decide to make this commitment, and that together we can start to work together towards a better, less divided, brighter future for us all!

Thank you!

~Ashley Meredith