This is my own response to my previous opinion piece, A Simple Choice.
Of course, there is not another choice in this election, other than getting out and voting. It seems that voter apathy is the real determinate of who wins. There are several factors driving voter apathy:
If both parties had platforms to lead governments at all levels to become more efficient, more responsive, and less expensive, then both parties might find that they can find some common ground for programs that grow the economy, cost less, be responsive to business and the public, and provide robust social services. And with growth in a cooperative spirit, everyone will have time and energy to tackle the really big issues such as climate change. Seems that growth in a cooperative spirit is needed in all countries. How can this happen? Perhaps while we ask our politicians to start talking with and listening to each other, everyone else should also work at finding a way to talk with and listen to each other. I don't have any real answers but I believe this is key. I heard about an experiment where a dozen Democrats and an equal number of Republicans agreed to the following experiment. The researchers questioned each individual privately about their beliefs, especially what they thought about Republicans and Democrats. Then, they all got together and sat in two concentric circles. They flipped a coin as which group would go into the inner circle first. The other group sat in a larger circle around them and were instructed to listen only. Then the inner circle group were asked to describe the life experiences that lead them to have the beliefs they have. They were asked to focus on their life experiences, not their beliefs. After everyone had their turn, they switched inner and outer circles. Finally, they sat in one big circle with alternating Democrat Republican Democrat Republican etc. and were asked to talk with one another. The researchers found that virtually everyone moderated their view of the others and that they were able to talk about various political issues and find at least some common areas of agreement. Perhaps a movement of small groups around the country listening to and sharing life experiences in this format would help us relearn the skill of talking with each other in a civil manner.
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