As a bystander to the US elections with many friends on both sides of the political divide, I repeatedly observe this strange dissonance.
I hear the ‘liberal’ Democrats eschew racism, gender discrimination and all other discriminations and naturally feel aligned to that in many ways (though not all). However, I hear them speak of their politically opposing humans with nothing but discrimination, so ready to write off 67 million humans as evil/racist/awful and I get thrown into that collective too, when I raise another perspective or side to the story than theirs.
These aren’t ‘far’ anything people, these are everyday peers, middle class, reasonably successful and intelligent people. Now I’m aware of the irony of me making a collective of the democrats now but I’m not writing them off as bad humans in the same way, I see their light. I just can’t get my head around this ability to label anyone who votes for Trump, or even those who acknowledge some of the positives that have occurred during his term, as automatically bad.
As soon as I question the democrat’s narrative or their own choices of leaders, I have been automatically presumed to be a trump follower and instantly insulted in one way or another.
Surely the whole essence of removing discrimination from our society is by the fact that we accept and embrace difference?
I know from my own work and my studies that the only real way through opposition is via connection. Finding that common thread that brings compassion and understanding when suddenly everything falls into place; suddenly someone’s behaviour makes sense; their views are understandable given their story; their lives as honourable as our own.
I don’t like certain styles of behaviour or attitude, they don’t suit my values perhaps, but I still know with a hundred percent truth that all of our hearts are filled with the same deep desire for love, connection, safety, warmth and trust.
I would love that to be what we concentrate on, instead of which leader we obsess over and who we emotionally destroy in order to cling on to some ideological beliefs.
Our opposing hearts are really just a reflection of each other, rooted in the same needs and desires.
#opposition #politics #usa2020 #biden #trump #connection #hearts #compassion #dissonance #love #democrat #republican
First Written on Social Media 7th November 2020