Compromise is Not a Dirty Word
The country is licking its wounds after the recent election. One party is gloating and vowing massive changes. The other is trying to understand where its campaign went astray and is already looking for fault in the winners. However, there is no winner if both parties don’t seek common ground to begin unifying the country. Each views the other as the enemy, and friendships and families are splintering over political disagreements. Both claim to be the party of democracy, but democracy requires all to unite in spirit, if not on issues.
For historical context, consider my grandfather, George L. Radcliffe, the Democratic senator from Maryland (1935 – 1947). Campaigns were also ugly back then, but after the election, the opposing sides rolled up their sleeves, listened to each other, and sought compromise. Today, a politician is often shunned by their party if they dare to vote with the other party. Sen. Radcliffe used to say that, at lunchtime between sessions, he sought out the senator most opposed to his viewpoint. Their conversation was always friendly as he looked for something they might have in common, whether an issue or a personal interest. A shared hobby or interest provided a platform to build a working relationship. He listened. He realized that argument polarized while listening opened the door for compromise. He chaired a sub-committee of the Commerce Committee and had the proxy of every Republican on his committee. One doesn’t see that today.
The candidate I voted for in this election lost. I don’t wish for the winner to fail. If we genuinely value the country first, we should want that individual to succeed. As the sides drift apart, we lose sight of that common ground, and unification becomes less likely. Fortunately, the two sides are not geographically separated as they were in the Civil War; today’s civil war is being fought in the media, mainstream and social. We will all lose as a divided country is a weaker country. Democracy is hard work. We honor courage in battle; we need to do likewise in politics. It’s easy to find fault; looking past differences to find commonalities takes courage. Will we listen to all, not just those who agree? Will we have the courage to change course when we see we are wrong? Will we always seek the truth, even if aspects of it leave a bitter aftertaste? The media bears considerable responsibility here as they are becoming more the purveyors of opinions than facts.
We’re a nation of complainers, and as such, we disrespect our ancestors who worked and overcame countless obstacles to give us the life we have today. We look to find fault, viewing the world as a glass half empty. There is still poverty, but we have made great strides to feed the hungry and care for people experiencing homelessness. Infant mortality is but a trace of what it was when my grandfather was a child; six of his siblings died before the age of two. Science has given us remarkable technology to make our lives easier. For my grandfather, a technology upgrade was getting a better mule. Medicine has cured many of the horrid diseases of the past. We now better prevent crime even though the news makes us believe otherwise. We’re on the road to making racism a thing of the past. We have the technology and knowledge to preserve wildlife and protect our environment. While there is always room for improvement, the current wave of negativity blinds us to the good around us. In many ways, we act like spoiled children. Progress is forward-looking. Too many are looking back. To those thinking the best days are behind us, consider this: after walking across his yard to use the outhouse, he reached into a barrel to pull out a corn cob before entering. The past was a different time, not a better time.
Our children will judge us on what we do now. We must teach them how opposites can still find common ground and work together. Will enough have the courage to put aside partisan bickering? Only then can we become the great country we are meant to be.