What Does Everybody Think?

Large crowd at Wisconsin State Fair.  8/7/2009
dwm photo

In church Sunday, our pastor said he thinks the country is the most divided he's ever seen.

He isn't the only one with that opinion.  It seems to be a common thought, but I wonder if we are that far apart?

When I first worked in radio; I recall a friend who hosted a talk show saying that fewer than 1 of every 10 listeners ever called into the program.

On the cusp of 2020, the gauge many use in determining how cohesive, or not, we are is seen through the lens of social media.

"Internet courage" lets us make declarations we don't have to defend from the safety of our phone or laptop.  News media outlets that lean to the right or left subtly congratulate us for being smart in the people and causes we follow.

The climate doesn't allow individuals to search the gray between the black and white thoughts of the day, and trying to form a nuanced argument or opinion online is practically impossible.

Somehow, someway - we need to get past the hot posts and hot takes for a more thorough conversation.

If we can get there; we will find areas where we agree and agree to disagree on others without vilifying the other people for their conclusion.

National emergencies cut through the malarkey to the bedrock values we share... we would do well to remember that in our day to day existence too.

I don't think we are that far apart - a small section of the population takes up that space loudly with their opinions.  Each party loudly proclaims through ads and internet posts opinions that can feel like peer pressure to us as we try to make up our minds.

The best antidote to this, is carefully consider your source of information before believing every word you hear.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays - thanks for taking the time to read my blog.