Whole other nation

In democracy, all views welcome

The second-biggest political disappointment of my adult life came with the realization that I did not live in the United States of Me.

On the one hand, it was a relief, since it explained why our politics never turned out the way I would prefer. Given the variety of political views, many of them distant from mine, I came to realize things would never turn out exactly the way I would like.

This all became especially clear when I moved to Arkansas, where my political values appeared to be way out of the mainstream.

I was continually disappointed with the candidates I supported, but I explained that as practical politics. Nobody who openly espoused my views on personal choice and inclusiveness, for example, could get elected. And when my candidates were elected and didn’t govern the way I wished they would, I attributed that to practical politics as well. I figured they had my values but couldn’t enact them as a practical matter.

Eventually, I came to the conclusion that my candidates didn’t actually share all of my views. They weren’t just holding back as a practical matter.

But that wasn’t the most challenging realization of my political maturation.

My biggest disappointment was the realization that if I truly believed in democracy, I should support a government that reflected an amalgam of views: those I espoused and even some I abhorred.

I am probably not the only person who has come to this realization. Many vocal Americans are unhappy with the way things turn out, some with my values and some almost diametrically opposed to those views. So what are we to do?

Some react to this dilemma by running for office. Some simply withdraw from the political arena in disgust.

Others try to silence those they disagree with.

Ultimately, I put my faith in education—both the formal education of schools but also the education that comes through free and open discussion. If particular values are truly worthy of our American democracy, then it should be possible to communicate them in a persuasive manner.

It is no surprise to me that the most bloodthirsty radicals around the world are committed to stamping out education—especially for girls and women. Happily, history is not in their favor.