Willing to Dialogue With Those With Whom We Disagree

The work of my good friend, Izzy Kalman, the author of Bullies to Buddies, has done it once again!

I was disturbed by a conversation I had yesterday with a friend. This friend had just been involved in a very hot debate in Utah over vouchers. He shared with me that when he had reached out, more that once, to dialogue with those who had not only attacked his ideas because of their opposing views, but also had attacked his character, his offer to dialogue was either rejected or ignored.

This disturbed me greatly for various reasons, one being that if we as adults can't be role models on how to dialogue with those who disagree with us, how can we expect our young people to learn how to deal with conflict in a civil manner? Looking for answers I went to Izzy's website--www.bullies2buddies.org-- for some counsel. I wasn't disappointed.

At Izzy's website there was a link to another website--www.freedomforum.org. At this site I found "A Statement of Principles" called Religious Liberty, Public Education, and the Future of American Democracy. Although there are seven principles all of which are excellent, there was one, the 7th that particularly fit this situation with my friend.

The 7th principle: CONDUCT OF PUBLIC DISPUTES
Civil debate, the cornerstone of a true democracy, is vital to the success of any effort to improve and reform America's public schools.
Personal attacks, name-calling, ridicule, and similar tactics destroy the fabric of our society and undermine the educational mission of our schools.....Through constructive dialogue we have much to learn from one another.

There are still some lingering questions I am facing this morning: How can we have this happen--especially when efforts to dialogue are rejected and/or ignored? Where do we start?

It could very well be that the answers to these questions lie within the principles of spiritual leadership.

Advancing the History Cause

"Take heart and take action," says David McCullough. "Get worked up, go and fix the problem, because it is fixable." After all, he adds, "There are more public libraries in the United States than McDonalds' fast food restaurants."

According to McCullough, since we are a government of the people, the answer as to what is to be done to advance the cause does not depend on some longed-for leader, but rather on the the person in the mirror.

What to do:

Universities:

David McCullough feels that universities must change the way they educate teachers. He feels that teachers get their degrees in education and they don't know any subjects. He suggests that teachers should have majors in the liberal arts to help ignite the passion for history. Teachers without passion for history won't spark any passion among their students as it's this passion that makes teachers effective.

Schools:

• Tell stories


• Delve into literature from history (biographies, poems, speeches, etc.) from all ethnic backgrounds, not textbooks, to improve reading---According to David McCullough the quality of textbooks are so filled with "politically correct mush" that they kill the interest of students.


• Write and participate in historical plays


• Encourage all students to participate in history fairs

Parents:

• Turn off the TV more often and when it is turned on, use it more productively--watch the History Channel, "American Experience," the C-SPAN presidential series, etc.


• Have conversations about history at the dinner table or in the car


• Visit historic sites


• Read to and with children the history literature


• Keep journals to record one's own personal history
  

Libraries:

Become involved in the "We the People" project sponsored by NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities)

There is so much to learn about tolerance, patience, courage, human nature, and life from those who have gone before us. Winston Churchill reminded us, "We haven't journeyed this far because we are made of sugar candy."

"Indifference to history isn't just ignorant, it's rude. It's a form of ingratitude," McCullough emphasizes.

As each of us commits to fight the battle we face of raising a generation that is historically illiterate, may we also follow the example of McCullough who describes himself as a "short-range pessimist, but long-range optimist." Not only have there been great accomplishments in the past, there are more to come as we accept the opportunity to build upon the past.