The dust from the election is starting to settle, and the opposing signs are disappearing from yards around town. The good news is that a record number of people voted, some registering to vote for the first time, according to reports from a staff member I spoke to at the Harpswell Town Office. This represents a celebration of democracy. The bad news is that we seem to be stuck in an “us and them” mentality: One side “won,” and the other side “lost.” We need to look at the results in a more productive way and begin a time of civil discourse in our community when we listen to those whose lives and beliefs deviate from our own.
Our country needs to be a place that works for all of us. I’m sure we all remember times when we socialized with those who had different political views. We may have expressed our initial disbelief, then slapped each other on the back, grabbed another beer from the cooler, and asked about each other’s jobs, children, hobbies. We never thought our friends were bad people for thinking differently; we just asked them to explain why, listened, and moved on.
Let’s bring this fellowship back. The art of listening wholeheartedly without mentally preparing counterarguments needs to return. I’m ready; are you?
Courtenay Snellings, Orr’s Island
