This blog is called ”Shades of Gray” because I want to discourage black-and-white thinking.
American politics have become too polarized, too much about Us vs. Them. The media splits us conveniently into red and blue states, ignoring the fact that most states fall somewhere in the middle. Our two-party system gives us only two options for which to vote. (Should voting pro-life have to mean voting anti-environment?)
As things become more and more heated, we avoid talking about politics with anyone but like-minded friends. We become increasingly, uneasily separated from those who hold different views, resulting in a vague but strong sense of a mysterious Other that is out to ruin the country. (The Republicans are all for Big Money; the Democrats are all for Socialism.)
We fear each other. We lose the civility necessary for a healthy democracy. Unwilling to listen or compromise and thus appear weak, our lawmakers play a game of perpetual stalemate.
This must stop.
I want to see Americans learn to talk to each other again. Maybe we were never perfect at it, but we were better than we are now. In order to learn this, we need to start catching ourselves when we think in black-and-white and remind ourselves that the world is full of gray (and purple!).
When I was training to be a teacher’s assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I was told that kids going into college tend to see things in black-and-white. But around age twenty, they start realizing that most issues are more complex. There can be more than one ”right answer,” or no perfect answer, to many problems. As an environmental education TA, I was to help guide these young people in opening their minds to the complexities of issues such as the reintroduction of wolves, regulation of chemicals in plastics, and global warming.
Since being a TA, I’ve noticed that although we may start to see shades of gray at age twenty, many of us continue thinking in black-and-white far beyond our youth. I’ve heard that a new study of brain chemistry shows that liberals are more comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty than are conservatives, indicating that black-and-white thinkers may be more predominantly conservative. But whatever that study shows, I’ve met plenty of black-and-white thinkers on both sides of politics.
I notice myself at times succumbing to that same temptation. It just feels so good to see myself as the good guy, fighting a noble battle against evil forces. This past week, it has often felt like Governor Walker is Darth Vader and we protesters are noble Jedis…or at least innocent Ewoks.
But when I actually talk to conservatives, or even research conservative leaders like Walker, I feel subtle cracks forming in my foundation of self-righteousness. I want to believe that Walker and his cronies are selfish and ignorant, and it’s unsettling when I encounter Walker supporters who don’t fit that description.
Take Senator Glenn Grothman as an example. Grothman is probably the Republican senator most despised by the protesters. On one of the first days of the protest, he spoke at the bill’s public hearing, dismissing protesters’ concerns: “When Scott Walker told me my pension was going down, I got over it in about 10 seconds.”
He intensified his criticism of the protesters as the weeks passed, publicly calling us “slobs.” (This remark sparked a slew of ironic signs, like “One More Slob For Union Rights.”)
There was an outcry from the protesters against Grothman, and MSNBC gave him an opportunity to retract his comments, which he did not. In fact, he added in the MSNBC interview that the protesters were “a different breed of people”—othering language that sounds eerily familiar from the darkest days of history.
The Isthmus, Madison’s liberal weekly newspaper, did a cover story last week entitled “Glenn Grothman: The Agitator.” I eagerly picked up the story, anticipating more details on a despicable man, more fuel to add to my venom against him. And so I was surprised at the author’s tone: “Glenn Grothman is a likable guy: intellectual, friendly and quirky.”
My heart sank. I wanted to hate this man, to see him as Darth Vader’s lackey. What business did the Isthmus have complimenting him? I thought they were on my side!
My enjoyment of being on the “right side” was further disturbed by a video of the protesters hassling Grothman as he tried to find his way into the Capitol one day of the protest. I had always found the protest peaceful, moving, and often beautiful…yet I had to admit that the protesters’ tone in this video sometimes bordered on violent.
These encounters are blessings. They serve to remind me that, although I strongly believe I’m right, it’s not accurate to vilify those who think differently. They are mostly, like me, good and reasonable people. Instead of dismissing them, I need to practice listening, and realize the possibility that we may both be right. And even if they’re wrong, they deserve my respect.
As a nation and as individuals, we must learn and continually relearn this lesson.
