Boomers did OK as parents. It was a peaceful time, decades of it. We didn’t know that then. Of course we want decades of peace and prosperity for our children. But these are difficult times.
Here’s a meme for living in these times without breaking everything. We are all members of the American Family, a family too broken, too angry to speak, to vote, to pass legislation. Our Family needs to heal enough to take up the job of democracy, i.e. to deliberate, and acknowledge that we are all, all concerned about the future.
Violence is in our DNA. It was useful to acquire food and defend homes. But recent events have shown that today’s violence is both Means and Ends. That’s what is different, violence for violence’s sake. We are shocked by Charlie Kirk’s death. But we should not drown in self-pity now, nor retreat to the dark corners of our hearts. The future is not written. It is time to talk with our neighbors, not fear them.
We need to take up the practice of democracy. Dissent devoid of anger. Government devoid of personal interest. Elected officials devoid of naked bias. Our precious, fragile government flourishes with participation, not in isolation. Deliberation, compromise, debate, acceptance, give and take — these are the behaviors of a responsible, free people.
In her biography of the philosopher Voltaire*, Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This is the essential freedom, the heart of democracy, and freedom of speech.
How do we go about making decisions when we disagree? Here are three simple rules for exercising free speech when we disagree:
- Respect all speakers; it takes courage to speak.
- Listen actively; take notes.
- Seek to understand all sides of a question.
We’re special to the Free World. Now sit up and think like it.
*The Friends of Voltaire, Evelyn Beatrice Hall, 1906.
Karen Morris Muriello
Oak Park