With a full week ahead, I penned this week\u2019s midweek post a little earlier than usual. It began like this\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith 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 \u2014 especially when we\u2019re passionate about an issue. There\u2019s just too much finger pointing. Too much justified denigration. Too much assumption of motive in the perspective that\u2019s different.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Allow me, no less, one more \u2018too much\u2019\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s too much lack of awareness of whom the enemy really is\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019t discussed. It was an evening intent on relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Said some of the attenders\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It’s the biggest group of women I’ve ever had dinner with since I’ve been here,\u201d said Sen. Feinstein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It was lovely. We enjoy each other’s company, and then we get to know each other as women first, not really as senators,\u201d offered Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the Democrat from New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I then quoted No Labels, <\/em>the admirable, growing organization that is actively promoting an emphasis on respect and bipartisanship\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis sort of thing shouldn\u2019t be shocking \u2013 or rare\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n No Labels<\/em> continued: \u201c\u2026 Sadly, as the two parties move ever more toward the extremes, and as social media noise and nonsense overwhelm rational discourse, we\u2019re losing those bonds that cross party lines \u2013 and more and more Americans find themselves politically homeless.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And I wrapped up the post by focusing on the noise and nonsense that actually overwhelms rational discourse\u2026 on the right. And on the left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Including \u2014 I respectfully submit \u2014 on society’s most passionate issues…<\/p>\n\n\n\n We lack awareness of whom the so-called enemy actually is.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Friends, in the wake of the shocking Supreme Court leak of a draft opinion on the constitutional right to abortion, we\u2019ve seen a lot of denigration \u2014 a lot of attacking\u2026 a lot of people assuming the worst about another…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t really care about babies!\u2026 You don\u2019t care about women!\u2026 You don\u2019t care about a [insert \u2018woman\u2019s\u2019 or \u2018baby\u2019s\u2019 here] life!\u2026 You don\u2019t care!\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And the list goes on (much of which is inconsistent in a blog modeling respectful dialogue).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I get it. But when we do that\u2026 when we scream and shout, demonize and denigrate, we have inerrantly concluded the politically different are our enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/em> But they have also gleaned the wisdom in being intent on developing relationship. That shouldn’t be shocking nor rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With a full week ahead, I penned this week\u2019s midweek post a little earlier than usual. It began like this\u2026 \u201cWith 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 … <\/p>\n