Progress Requires Common Ground

"It's nice to say let's be bipartisan. But we're a partisan nation. We were raised as a partisan nation." - Colin Powell

When the United States was young and freshly separated from a domineering monarchy, one of the main concerns of the Founding Fathers was how much of a role the new federal government would play in the lives of its citizens. Out of these concerns were born two political parties which emerged from ideologies that are pretty easy to understand even now.

The Federalists were made up of people who favored a strong, overseeing federal government. The Anti-Federalists, as you can probably guess from their name, did not. Over time, and countless changes in name and platform, these two primitive parties became the Democrats and the Republicans we know today.

Generally speaking the basic concepts of these parties haven't changed much. Republicans want smaller government and Democrats want larger government - that may seem like a simple explanation, and there is much more to it than that, but it will do for our purposes.

Getting these two sides to agree on anything is a challenge, even when the goal is the same. Fundamental differences between the people involved has split opinions even more over the last 50 years with heated disagreement on fundamental subjects like abortion, school prayer, labor issues, the environment, and so on.

Exacerbating the problem is that the willingness to compromise appears to be shrinking with each passing year as stereotypes are cemented into the minds of civilians and lawmakers alike. Republicans tend to think of Democrats as godless, anti-American, tofu-eating hippies. The Dems view Conservatives as war-loving, gun-toting, anti-minority rednecks who want to make everyone in the world carry a Bible and recite the Lord's Prayer.

There may be some truth to these generalizations, but regardless of that, most people tend to pick a side and generally adhere to it - shockingly, without question. Leaving out any third or fourth party followers out there, the majority of Americans hangs his or her hat on either the conservative or liberal hooks and that's probably how things will remain unless something drastic takes place to shake up the status quo.

We are self-segregating by nature with a desire to be around people like ourselves. Of course there are those who insist that we should fight this instinct, immersing themselves into environments which are totally foreign as a way to do one of two things. For some, there is a genuine interest in different cultures, politics, and cuisine. Others engage in such behavior as a way to appear to society as more open and enlightened.

Regardless of the motivation, they firmly believe that our diversity will bring us together and continue trying to force people to follow their lead. I think these folks are idealistic but also unrealistic. Instead of bringing us closer, I believe our differences give us instead more to learn about each other after we've found a starting point. Like it or not, people are drawn together by similarities.

When the most successful diplomats prepare to negotiate between opposing sides, one of the first tasks is to uncover what the two factions have in common. Finding common ground gives a good foundation from which to base a positive and productive relationship.

Blaming the political party system for congressional ineffectiveness only acknowledges part of the problem. A great deal of what goes on related to partisan government has more to do with money than anything else. Lobbyists pull the purse strings of our legislators who are swayed by overflowing coffers and promissory notes.

Down here in the real world, however, we can all do our parts to try to keep things sensible and civil. Our differences stand out because we rarely take notice of familiarity, but it could be that most of us are missing the point of the argument entirely.

In the end we all want the same things, but we are often blinded by partisanship. There is more that unites Americans than divides them. We want our children to have healthcare and a good education. We want equal rights, fair wages, clean air and fresh water. We want safe, affordable power and a stable, well-funded social security system.

Not surprisingly, however, radical efforts to change opinions on either side of an issue usually end in a greater fracture of ideas. When trying to resolve our differences, we should probably try harder to find similarities to build the foundation for understanding, communication and respect.

Independent journalist Gery L. Deer is based in Jamestown. More at www.gerydeer.com