the original post, leak, Court & more wisdom

With a full week ahead, I penned this week’s midweek post a little earlier than usual. It began like this…

“With the inflating situations abroad in Ukraine and at home in the economy, the Intramuralist continues to actively search for what is good and right and true. As a society, we no doubt struggle with this at times — especially when we’re passionate about an issue. There’s just too much finger pointing. Too much justified denigration. Too much assumption of motive in the perspective that’s different.

Allow me, no less, one more ‘too much’…

There’s too much lack of awareness of whom the enemy really is…”

I then continued by sharing news of the gathering last week of 22 women in Washington. Maine Republican Susan Collins and California Democrat Dianne Feinstein gathered 20 of their Senate colleagues to dinner. The ladies sat around a large table. Politics wasn’t discussed. It was an evening intent on relationship.

Said some of the attenders…

“It’s the biggest group of women I’ve ever had dinner with since I’ve been here,” said Sen. Feinstein.

“I’ve been here a while, and it’s just nice to relax and have conversations with friends,” said Sen. Deb Fischer, the Republican from Nebraska.

“It was lovely. We enjoy each other’s company, and then we get to know each other as women first, not really as senators,” offered Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the Democrat from New York.

I then quoted No Labels, the admirable, growing organization that is actively promoting an emphasis on respect and bipartisanship…

“This sort of thing shouldn’t be shocking – or rare…”

No Labels continued: “… Sadly, as the two parties move ever more toward the extremes, and as social media noise and nonsense overwhelm rational discourse, we’re losing those bonds that cross party lines – and more and more Americans find themselves politically homeless.”

And I wrapped up the post by focusing on the noise and nonsense that actually overwhelms rational discourse… on the right. And on the left.

Including — I respectfully submit — on society’s most passionate issues…

We lack awareness of whom the so-called enemy actually is.

Friends, in the wake of the shocking Supreme Court leak of a draft opinion on the constitutional right to abortion, we’ve seen a lot of denigration — a lot of attacking… a lot of people assuming the worst about another…

“You don’t really care about babies!… You don’t care about women!… You don’t care about a [insert ‘woman’s’ or ‘baby’s’ here] life!… You don’t care!” 

And the list goes on (much of which is inconsistent in a blog modeling respectful dialogue).

I get it. But when we do that… when we scream and shout, demonize and denigrate, we have inerrantly concluded the politically different are our enemy.

I think of the women at that table last week. No way they all agree on pro-life, pro-choice, or pro-you-name-it. No way they all agree on the upcoming Supreme Court decision; they might even be passionate. But they have also gleaned the wisdom in being intent on developing relationship. That shouldn’t be shocking nor rare.

Respectfully…

AR