It’s not polite to discuss religion or politics.
Sounds reasonable, but it creates a dilemma. If polite people can’t discuss religion or politics, that means it gets discussed by impolite people. Watch cable news lately?
Leaving these topics to corporate media and internet chat rooms produces a narrative centered on the differences in creed that divide us rather than the shared beliefs that unite us. Market forces are not going to reverse the economics of hate and neither will the corpora-ticians. As such, it’s up to us and the non-profit sector to fill the gap.
Although we lack the resources and the platform to be heard, we do have something going for us. The population is not as polarized as we are led to believe. The number of independents outnumber either party. Of course, some studies go deeper than registered party affiliation to assess if the Independents really are independent, and they aren’t. But not all Democrats and Republicans are extreme liberals or conservatives. The number of truly independent voters (20%) is about the same as the truly extreme liberals or conservatives.
I’m not sure how to solve this problem of minority extremists co-opting our airways, but it definitely motivates me to leave the house, share my stories, and listen to others. I’m also thinking that I’ll start writing a journal. It took being Board president and having to write a coherent column every month to make me to realize that writing it down got me to organize my thoughts. And in that regard. Jan Partin takes over as Board president next month, so I am signing off.
Thank you for all the feedback on my articles. I look forward to seeing you at a Sunday service or around town!
— Joe Criscione, President