It seems as though Washington politics has become so divisive that it borders on being ineffective. It’s not that party politics is anything new, but it appears now that party and power have become more important to some than country. The way politics is covered is also troubling. Every major news channel has pundits that talk about how each side should behave in regards to particular issues, yet actual issues are rarely discussed. When there is a debate it often consists of representatives yelling back and forth at each other insisting that they’re side is right. With few exceptions it appears that compromise, moderation and manners have virtually disappeared.
Compromise has been a crucial element of American government ever since the forming of the Constitution. Progress on many important issues relies on compromise. Even if one party has power, dismissing other views can be destructive and unwise. Often good solutions come from the middle. If one’s mind isn’t set on ‘definitely yes’ or ‘definitely no’ they may be able think up a creative alternative with even greater potential. Finally, what ever happened to manners? Even if you disagree with someone is it really necessary to yell at them and call them names? What used to be verbal sparring appears to have denigrated to a screaming match reminiscent of schoolyard fight. Maybe this could be remedied the same way as a schoolyard fight; call their mothers in. Maybe politicians should have a ‘bring you mother to work day’. Certainly these people who are typically well-educated, successful individuals would not speak or act the way they do in front of their mothers. Granted productivity may drop that day, but wouldn’t you hesitate to call someone names if either your mother was standing next to you, or their mother was standing next to them. While unlikely happen, the country would be greatly served if each side would stop viewing the other side as their enemy, and stop seeing disagreements as a reason to bash someone or grandstand. It couldn’t hurt if people remembered what their mother taught them and minded their manners.