The danger of our ideological silos

Have our ideological silos removed all objectivity, independent thought and civil discourse? In a nation as divided as ours, it’s a reasonable question.

Seminal events once spurred national, patriotic unity or, at least, invited reasoned, independent evaluation and contemplation by thinking Americans. These days, they seem to only trigger rapid retreat into ideological corners, quickly followed by mud slinging at “the other side.”

Must we be reminded that unity and unanimity are not synonymous?

For most adults of middle age or older, the national unity we experienced after 9-11 is a warm memory.  Members of Congress from both parties stood together on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, singing “God Bless America.” Patriotism and national unity were at a high that most have never experienced before or since.

Our churches were full to overflowing. Perhaps a harbinger of the future we’re now living, however, is that this only lasted for two weeks or so.

Students of history, though, are familiar with this theme. While American history is rife with divisions, even as great as lynchings, violent protests, and a civil war, and while the vigorous expression of different opinions has been a hallmark of the free speech we prize, patriotism is also an inescapable theme of the pages of history.

This has been particularly true when we’re challenged or threatened. Events such as Pearl Harbor, Word Wars, or 9-11 are perhaps the greatest examples of our nation united.

Just over a week ago, our region was shocked by the murder of a Minnesota legislator and her husband and the attempted murder of another and his wife. Far too little compassion and simple human decency was expressed, across the board. Instead, the response of many, of all political persuasions, quickly deteriorated into ascribing motives to the perpetrator, blaming “the other side” and even some conspiracy theories attempting to assemble cloak and dagger puzzle pieces of how and why it happened. 

This weekend, the world was rocked by President Trump’s decision to drop America’s unique “bunker busting” bombs in hopes of destroying deeply buried nuclear facilities in Iran as that terrorist nation moved ever closer to the likely development of nuclear weapons (a worry to most of civilization), in the wake of its targeted attacks on civilians in Israel.

While good questions should be asked and critiques may be reasonable, shouldn’t the first reaction be thankfulness that innocent civilians were apparently spared harm and appreciation for what was accomplished, accompanied by reasonable concern and even unity of purpose, moving forward? Far too many seem, instead, to have scurried into their ideological corners (both left and right, incidentally) to again begin casting stones.

Even though war has not been declared by Congress since 1941, those on the left promptly chose the occasion to begin castigating the President, insisting that he had no right to order the strike without Congressional approval. Some conservatives responded, alleging that President Obama had “dropped 26,171 bombs in seven different countries without one congressional approval” while liberals remained silent.

Many on the far right also attacked the President of their own party, some on the same grounds and some from the perspective of isolationism.

Where were those who expressed reasoned awareness of the reality at hand and focused upon how we should best move forward, rather than reflexively lashing out?

Where are the thoughtful, the objective, the measured? What has become of a meaningful exchange on important thoughts, ideas and perspectives? Have we forgotten how to listen to and learn from each other? Is good will among Americans of different perspectives in danger of extinction?

How and why have we allowed the fabric of our society and our political discourse to deteriorate into camps so entrenched that the reflexive “us against them” mentality gives little time or room for reasoned exchange of thoughts and ideas? Perhaps more importantly, what has become of thoughtful consideration of differing ideas on the increasingly rare occasions where they do occur?

If we continue talking “at” or “past” each other, rather than “with” one another, the time-honored American ideals of civil discourse and mutual respect may become relics of history.  That would be tragic.