We have always found common ground on which to build a sense of community. But we stand to lose what we've built if we allow ourselves to become polarized. There are mighty passions at work in our communities today. We see it all the time, from the debate over abortion rights and gun control, to affirmative action and attempts to criminalize flag burning. But the passions surrounding these issues, and many others, often provoke extreme, sometimes irrational positions.
Compromise becomes unacceptable.
In this atmosphere a community can seize up, like a deer frozen in onrushing headlights, and the kind of progress people want comes painfully and much too slowly, if at all. I suggest that social progress can be achieved most quickly when individuals commit themselves to some very basic and fundamental principles. Listening, genuine listening, is so important to this effort. Listening leads to understanding, understanding to appreciation, appreciation to finding common ground on which we can build community. Respect is also essential.