It’s generally understood that topics such as money, politics, and religion are not to be brought up if one wants to have a calm conversation and be seen as a pleasant and well-mannered person. Today, politics looms large among the topics on everyone’s mind, yet only a courageous or foolish person would initiate such a conversation even with family and friends.
Why is this happening now? I think we are becoming a people who lack respect for others and ourselves. Our arguments lack grace and mercy with anyone who has an opinion different from ours.
We have come to a sad place where politics is beyond debate. We have lost perspective about what matters, and because of that, we have given up on meaningful conversations. No one is willing to listen because there are strong feelings and hardened opinions that are not open to seeing other points of view.
Those who want to engage in conversations about the current forbidden topic often do so because they think that they can convince the other person that their way of thinking is the right and only way to see the situation. They evangelize from a strongly righteous point of view.
There are consequences to speaking freely. When we hear arguments for free speech, the First Amendment is often cited. What we forget is that the First Amendment is about protecting citizens from government restrictions on speech. My question is how we address the loss of our right to express our opinion when it’s our neighbors, community members, or even strangers in public places who overhear a conversation with which they disagree and decide to take issue.
The right to speak freely is a gift to humanity and a bridge to community. I do not believe that we, the people, are willing to pay the costs of losing the freedom to speak.
Gwen Dungy 