Berkley Center

I am dreading the next election cycle. Democracy is wonderful, but I could do without the elections. We hold debates where little is said and run TV ads digging up the inconsequential for a bump in the polls. It is not just our politicians. We have to take responsibility for our political culture. We have to want civility and discourse. Last Tuesday, I attended an event that made a significant step toward fostering discussion free from mudslinging and deep-seated animosity. The Conversation on National Values held in Philadelphia, hosted by Georgetown and the Ford Foundation, was the first in a series of events to try to get Americans to talk about our shared values and beliefs. While the program certainly has room to grow, I am optimistic about its ability to help hold back the current onslaught of extreme polarization prevalent in the current political sphere.

As a society we are not lacking for information. Politicians talk all the time. The problem is that they rarely talk to each other. What I enjoyed most was the effort on the part of the dialogue to actually engage its participants, not just offer a forum for prepared speeches. The moderator assigned each participant a role that he or she adopted for the remainder of that particular topic. Scenarios are presented, and each person responded according to their adopted perspective. Role-playing was not included as a PR twist, but a sincere attempt to detach the participants from their personal views and political agenda. Only when we free ourselves from the baggage of the 24 hour news cycle and interminable election seasons are we best prepared to actually respond to one another. As it is impossible to turn of the cameras and stifle the blogosphere, we can simulate such an environment by taking on another persona. The community leaders on the stage were, in theory, free to compromise a little more, listen a little more, and possibly walk away with a better understanding of the other side because they are not politically accountable for their concessions. At the debate’s best, the audience was simply a witness to group of important and powerful people thinking critically about how to defend and promote a set of ideals potentially quite different from their own.

While I personally got a lot of the event (I traditionally shy from a military perspective, but found myself nodding along with the former Secretary of the Navy), I hope the participants in the discussion learned the most. Our rhetoric adds incredible value assignments to all kinds of political positions. The Philadelphia event focused on the US budget. With this issue in particular, we are quick to label someone unpatriotic or immoral for suggesting a different approach to solving the current crisis. I hope by taking on a different perspective, the panel was able to see more clearly the line between a strategy and morality. I hope they got something more out of the experience then clichés and soundbites. I hope that take the experience back to their work and let it influence their political posture. Because despite the name calling and bickering coming from many of our elected officials and community leaders, our essential values remain very similar. This series has the potential to remind America that liberals and conservatives are not working for two separate end goals, and if we step out of the current construct, we can see the possibility for substantial common ground.

Of course, this is the beginning of a conversation, not a final resolution, and as such I hope to offer the project a bit of constructive criticism. As we look to talk about the future of America, there is no harm in including a younger voice that may be there to experience this other America. There is a frustration among young adults that can be a powerful force for change. Unfortunately, as Obama’s promises in a new kind of politics went unfulfilled, political efficacy is on the rise. Before you discount the millennial generation, give us a voice and a seat at the table, so that we may be part of the conversation that helps to reshape the public discourse.