Hey, can we talk? Please?

Our political environment is not beyond repair. The tools needed to fix it are found virtually in all of us. We are born with them and use them on a daily basis: our mouths and our ears.

Since childhood, we are taught that any issue should be examined and discussed among all parties involved until a reasonable solution has been reached. At its most basic, this procedure calls for us to listen and communicate with one another. It stresses dialogue not only with those who view the world as we do but with those whose thinking departs from our own. In this way, ideas are exchanged, compromises are reached and problems are dealt with. In the end, with both sides engaging in meaningful dialogue, resolutions reflect the interests of all parties involved.

A very different approach to problemsolving is being embraced by our political leaders, an approach that is producing fewer results.

I have seen our politicians reject dialogue and understanding in favor of a “my way or the highway” approach to political issues, where “my way” is the political platform of a party and “the highway” being a euphemism for no negotiations and gridlock.

Political discussion has moved away from the exchange of ideas and compromise and toward a platform where opposing ideas are rejected not on the merit of their content but simply based on their political party of origin. Once, our political leaders were able to sit down and discuss vital matters such as the Articles of Confederation and the Civil Rights movement with all parties, but today they are unable to sit down and converse about issues less critical in an objective manner.

This does not mean we are less capable than previous generations; rather, we hamper ourselves by refusing meaningful dialogue in favor for unwavering party loyalty. Such a polarized environment helps to explain why very little is accomplished in Washington, D.C.

As the nation enters 2019 and readies itself to face new challenges, I once again ask if we as a country can engage in genuine dialogue. Can our elected officials put aside their red and blue glasses to sincerely discuss matters like immigration, health care and gun control that impact all Americans? If the past few weeks are any indication of the future, I firmly believe we will get even less accomplished in 2019. I pray this prediction turns out to be false, but we must be realistic in our expectations.

Yet our political environment is not doomed. It simply requires minor adjustments, which can start with you and me: listening to all opposing sides and engaging in meaningful conversations with those we disagree with.

At my place of work, we have an individual I consider my mentor who comes in on a daily basis. When the store is not busy, we often talk about politics. Despite being on opposite ends of the political spectrum, our conversations do not end in shouting or name-calling, but rather with a deeper understanding of the other’s point of view. This is because we listen when the other is speaking and ask questions that help move the discussion forward instead of ending it.

If this sort of constructive conversation can take place in a coffee shop and among hundreds of Americans across this great nation of ours, as I am certain it does, then why do our politicians in Washington continue to engage in destructive and meaningless dialogue? It affects not only politicians but all Americans by producing limited results.

For this reason, before every legislative session, members of Congress should be required to take a seminar on effective communications and meaningful negotiations before entering their chambers. In doing so, we the people who elected them may be able to see and hear more solutions than bickering.

Sheroz Din is a 20-year-old sophomore at UConn majoring in political science and economics.

The Courant invites writers younger than 30 to write essays of 650 words or less containing strong views. Please email your submission to freshtalk@courant.com, with your full name, hometown, daytime phone number, age and occupation (or your school’s name and your level in school).