My Turn: Demonizing others doesn't solve anything

By Jack Burke

When Congresswoman Gabby Giffords tendered her resignation from the House Wednesday afternoon, she was greeted with applause, hugs and as one reporter put it, “There wasn’t a dry eye in the House.” Speaker Boehner hugged her and even wept a few tears. Majority Leader Eric Cantor spoke to her courage and expressed his best wishes and hope for her future.

What a display of graciousness and civility. Wouldn’t it be nice if Congress always behaved that way, with courtesy and civility?

Instead, how often have we heard otherwise decent people from both political spectrums express their hatred for leaders on the other side? Yet, when asked why they “hate” someone, they’ll usually respond with something like “Oh, I don’t really “hate” him (or her), I’m sure they’re nice people, but I disagree with them.” Why can’t we just say that? That we disagree, strongly, with them, and then give our reasons?

A few days ago I was in a meeting with two conservative Republicans, a committed Democrat and a couple of “centrists,” discussing where we saw Rowan County going and the Central Office controversy. We all took turns expressing our views, were courteous to each other and not so remarkably found ourselves agreeing more often than not. Even when we disagreed the discussion was polite and even handed. I wish Congress would behave like that.

Recently I read several books on the 2008 financial crisis by people who were there, either as participant or observers. One thing that struck me was how people with strong views, both economical and political, were able to come together in the face of an economic Armageddon and put aside their ideology to address the crisis. All of them compromised as they worked together (imagine Hank Paulson, former chairman of Goldman Sachs, and Barney Frank working together!) to save the country and avert another Great Depression. President Bush, a certified conservative, swallowed TARP and other measures, because he didn’t want to expose the county to the risk of a second Great Depression. Democrats went along, some of them gagging as they did, in rescuing the major banks and investment houses. And they succeeded. Had they refused, how bad would it have been? No one knows, and thank God we didn’t have to find out.

I’m not proposing people give up their beliefs. Far from it. Vigorous debate, based on facts as well as opinions and beliefs is healthy, both politically and economically. Only when the debaters refuse to listen to each other, and indeed vilify their opponents, does it become unhealthy. Most politicians are decent people and want to do their jobs as best they can. But when they give in to extremists spouting hate, they lose that decency and box themselves into a corner. Problems don’t get solved by people who have boxed themselves into corners. It’s been said that politics is the art of compromise. Problems get solved by people who can come together and reach doable solutions, with both sides “giving a little to get a little.”

Our nation is faced with several severe and long-term problems. Successful solutions will involve compromise by all sides. When we seem to embrace hatred for our opponents, we feed the dissension and rigidity both here at home and in Raleigh and in Washington. To quote Commissioner Jim Sides, let’s demand our political leaders “be part of the solution” instead of the problem.

Jack Burke lives in Salisbury.

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