I consider myself a moderate progressive. I am unenrolled from all political parties. I enjoy discussing and debating the issues. I find that much of the problem in society is most people, myself included, live in an echo chamber; we surround ourselves with those who think like us, so we rarely hear opposing views. When we do, they are seldom presented in a calm, respectful way. This is compounded when people post on social media such as Twitter. When a news article goes up, the comments are essentially "Absolutely!" and "No way!" There's little decorum. There's little discussion. There's little debate.
In the past, I've tried to engage with people I know who tend to be on the opposite side of the political spectrum. I want to understand their views and help them understand mine. The problem is I cannot find anyone who will seriously engage with me. I had one openly tell me they're not "not nearly well enough read on most political subjects to present a proper debate" (although we have since a had few back-and-forths on a handful of topics). I had another agree that having this type of conversation is what the nation needs, then go silent when I asked my first question. I offered to have the same discussion with a member of my town's Facebook group and never received a response either way (which I'm taking as a "no").
I won't lie. I have a weakness (can't say an addiction, not yet) for reading the comments on Facebook and Twitter. I find many of them amusing in what I see as their ignorance. A couple days ago, NPR posted an article on the benefits of wearing masks during the pandemic. Someone responded with a link to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) saying that masks don't help. I don't know what prompted me to respond to this stranger, perhaps it was boredom or masochistic tendencies, but I felt compelled to note that the JAMA article they posted was from early March, before the pandemic began, and that JAMA had since changed their view. We've had a bit of a back-and-forth, some of it respectful, some snarky, and I'm finding myself eager to hear back from them. I want to see if we're on the same page. I want to see if we can understand each other's logic. If I'm mistaken, I want to know. I hope they feel the same way. But this can only happen if we allow ourselves the chance to speak about it.
I know anonymity is a contributing factor. It's easier to be vitriolic in posts when no one knows who you are. That said, I still want to engage. I want to have these discussions and see if there is still a middle ground in this divided nation. And hey, if you're up for a healthy discussion, let me know. I have some free time on my hands.
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