We’ve seen all of this before. In 1860, thousands of frustrated citizens began to act out in defiance and protest against the result of the November election. The President-elect was not supremely popular, winning only 39.7% of the popular vote…and many who voted for him didn’t necessarily trust him. The opposition initially was sporadic and certainly not the majority of the country, but they were angry. To borrow the phrase, over half the country was saying “he’s not my President.” But those angry citizens were rioting, protesting and generally acting poorly. They were creating agitation that ultimately led to secession on what they THOUGHT the new President would do. Abraham Lincoln, though, was not inaugurated till early 1861; these citizens never gave him a chance. We would do well to avoid that mistake this time.
In the week since our election, some observations have become more clear to me. I have been writing and speaking for about 15 years that we are headed into our season of great crisis. I still hope ultimately I am wrong, but even as I type this, evidence is mounting. We are one major poor decision away, one explosive event that then pushes the government into a reaction, from disaster. If there is any hope of us moving forward as a nation, we must make wise choices.
To that end, here are some observations. On Thursday, I plan on writing about life-lessons we can glean from the election…things you can work to understand in order to Live Well in future days, but for now, I wanted to focus on some observations:
A) The issues we face are more complex than most people realize. Simplification down to rude labels eliminates the opportunity we have to move forward a complex nation. Pick any issue—abortion, immigration, Russia, ISIS, economic disparity, etc—and the reality is that sound-bites simply ruin us. If we don’t slow down enough to have the challenging discussion, both in the halls of government and in the streets of our hometowns, then overreaction, violence and chaos as we blow past each other is assured.
B) Perhaps I feel this strongly about things because I have been blessed to be someone with dear friends of both sides of our political stances. My facebook feed and news input is not an echo chamber. If anything, I get whiplash scrolling through my posts because what I see goes back and forth, from the deep extremes. I have friends who live in the urban cities and edges of the country that voted for Mrs. Clinton. I have friend who live in the red center of the country that voted for Mr. Trump. I am convinced there is a way forward in almost all of our issues.
C) To that end, those on Trump’s side must realize that the Progressives, those on the left, represent nearly 50% of the country. Ignoring the reality that they live, mostly, in the major cities of our land and are within the economic centers of the nation is unwise and will not lead you forward to making the country what you want it to be. And moreover, it is vital that for many in the country, “making the country what you want it to be” is scary and ominous to many on the Progressive side of the nation.
D) Those on the left, the Progressives, must also listen to the people in the vast majority of the country. Ignoring, marginalizing or demonizing that 50% (living on 85% of the land) will simply not lead you forward. You cannot call people harsh or hateful terms, and then hope they will help you in the future.
E) For both Trump and Clinton supporters, when you look at those election maps, you must realize and respect that within the blue and the red are people who voted opposite of the dominant color. There are Progressives living the heartland; there are Conservatives living in the urban cities. We live alongside each other. We need to care for each other. That care starts with understanding that so many are afraid.
F) Fear is the dominant feeling among so many. Both sides need to realize that the “other side” is operating out of fear. If you know the “other” to whom you are dealing with is afraid, you don’t get anywhere by continuing to make them afraid not by mocking their concern. You must seek to assuage their fear. And, if you wish to naively think “oh, they have nothing to be afraid of; how silly”…you are simply showing how little you know of about the views and issues of the “other side.”
G) If you are someone who voted for Mr. Trump, then you must acknowledge that there is racism still alive and well in this country. Worse, in the week since the election, there have been hundreds of reported moments of open, ugly, vicious racism…the likes of which we haven’t seen or heard of since the 1960s. If you are a Trump supporter, you simply cannot sit by and watch. You must speak out against vile open racism.
H) And yes, for my more Progressive friends, I know there’s been hatred and ugliness since the ‘60s, but it has not been as bad as is often painted. We have progressed far since the 1960s. So, for you, then you must acknowledge that everyone who voted for Trump is not a racist any more than everyone who voted for Clinton is a serial liar or supportive of illegal immigration. This senseless violence in the name of somehow overturning a legal election is ridiculous, especially based on false accusations against the motives or reasoning of the majority of his supporters.
I) People on both sides are acting ridiculous…and dangerously. Seriously, for some of my friends, I have been shocked by the things you have written and posted online, both in support of Trump and in opposition to his election. We are better than this…but only if you decide to actually act and be better. If you are unhappy with the election, then you need to remind yourself that a vast portion of the country was equally unhappy in 2008 and 2012. You must remind yourself that you can oppose the President with words, as many did against each of our previous Presidents…all the way back to Washington who had calls for the guillotine to be used on him…but that open violence is not the way. You will not win, nor lead the nation to a unified next phase, by openly and actively seeking to cause destruction of the nation.
J) The most chilling thing that happened occurred in my College, in my division of professors. After an open discussion about the election in which it quickly became apparent that most had voted for Mrs. Clinton and some demeaning things were said about Mr. Trump…and then only words of concern for the poor students who were so sad about the election….I reminded my peers that in our classrooms we had students who had voted for Mr. Trump and who might be afraid to even speak out about their views. I urged them to recall that in a college of openness and tolerance, we should be ashamed to discover that any student was afraid to voice their opinion.
What I got next, initially was nice in that some supported me, even clapped for my words. But then, in a somewhat harsh and challenging way, I was told that never would they compromise with evil. Whether intended or not, the message I heard was that a student who voted for Trump or who was conservative was no longer safe in their class, would not be respected or given the proper care that any professor should offer to every student.
That’s the chilling part. I do believe in evil. As a Christian, I have a very clear view of what God describes as evil. Yet, in our world, the moment you decide to label someone else or their views as evil, you have backed yourself into a corner. See, one of the few things humans seem to agree on is what to do with evil. You eliminate evil. Do you see where that leaves us?
If you have decided that the supporters of Trump or of Clinton are evil, rather than fearful people who perhaps do not know how to express their concern….then your only solution is to eliminate those people. Oh sure, you’d never say it that openly, but you know well enough you can’t simply call someone or their views evil, and then suggest that you can help them see the light. No one gets argued out of their opinion.
We can’t allow ourselves to end up calling the other person or their views evil. As I said in Point A above…our issues are far too complex for that. What we need now is leadership that, to quote Covey, seeks first to understand. We must listen to each other.
It starts with you and with me.