Toxic Politics
Sixty years of watching toxic politics has convinced me that it is a personality issue. Progressives tend to be extroverts: open hearted and reaching out to others to solve problems. Conservatives tend to be introverts: defensive and suspicious of change. This has resulted in us vs them, we-are-right and you-are-wrong way of thinking on everyone’s part. Thus partisan politics--which, as a people, makes it difficult for us to see issues as problems which need to be solved. Progressives have some good ideas. So do conservatives. Both sides have let their wing-nut wackos make the most noise. Politics should never be used to justify racism or deny equal opportunity nor should it be used to create oppressive big government. Extroverts and introverts must learn to talk to each other and somehow trust each other so that government “Of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from this earth.” We can do it.
