The following commentary recently appeared in the Daily Item. Thanks to them for the invitation.
Dispel Hate:
Communicate
In a speech given at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa
in 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said:
I
am convinced that men hate each other because they fear each other. They fear
each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know each other
because they don’t communicate with each other, and they don’t communicate with
each other because they are separated from each other.
Despite all of our progress, these divisions are growing
again. A Pew
Research Center report showed that in 1994, Democrats and Republicans /
Conservatives and Liberals had much more in common ideologically than they
differed. By 2014, they were divided much more than united, and in the
subsequent six years, the schism has continued to grow.
The rise of the Information Age has deteriorated
communication. A tidal wave of media is feeding the divide. Because so much of
our information is no longer curated, there really is a preponderance of “fake
news.” This has delegitimized responsible reporting in the eyes of millions who
don’t know how to tell the difference, threatening all of us.
A free and independent press is a necessary safeguard for
democracy, which is why it is protected in the first amendment of the Bill of Rights. In a world where we
don’t trust objective news sources, it is no wonder we don’t trust each other.
Throughout our nation’s history, we have made progress
through an exchange of ideas, but now, we won’t take the time to listen to each
other much less develop empathy for each other’s views. The best and some of
the worst of our history has been born from concession, but progress has always
been the product of compromise.
Cancel culture is a treacherous path — “I don’t like what
you say, so I won’t listen.” This is a position spreading on both ends of the
ideological spectrum, and it is threatening our communities, our nation, and
the world.
This is why we need to teach our students how to have humble
and difficult conversations. It is why we need to foster an appreciation of
difference and a respect for divergent views.
Good people often form different opinions for thoughtful and
legitimate reasons. When we engage in respectful dialog, we must be open to
hearing contrary views, and we need to strive to appreciate the shaping forces
of those views. Most importantly, in open discourse, we must also remind
ourselves that we may be wrong.
Through the GO Program at
Susquehanna, all students engage meaningfully in a culture different from their
own. The maturity and humility those experiences develop are invaluable. We
have also begun an NEH-funded
program to foster difficult conversations on campus and in the community.
This is the heart of a liberal arts education, and we have
never needed it more. This is how we develop a generation of servant leaders committed
to dispelling hatred through rich, empathetic communication.
In the New Year, I hope these conversations and an openness
to difference becomes the norm in our community and throughout the region. We
all deserve that mutual respect, and we will all be better for it.
