If you have not paid attention recently, there have been presidential primary elections and caucuses held across the country with more to come. About half of the states have voted for one or both major parties at the time of this writing. This election cycle, particularly among the Republicans candidates, has had moments of unruly, inappropriate, and downright horrid rhetoric both on and off the debate stage.
The purpose of this brief article is not to discuss the candidates (as much as I appreciate any civil discussion on the topic), but it is to challenge everyone to reflect about the ways we speak to and about others. This challenge is not intended to encourage everyone to give each other big bear hugs or pretend we don’t have ideological and philosophical differences. Rather, I hope we can all agree there comes a point where how we speak to or about one another becomes unproductive. I might argue the Republican debates over the past few weeks have not only reached but keep traveling past the point of unproductivity.
If this were like most topics, I would suggest a method to strategically think about the ways we speak. I might also suggest a process to consciously reflect on our speech and identify when what we are saying becomes unproductive. Alternatively, the approach I really want to take is based off a hope that as humans, we should be able to constructively criticize others and accept constructive criticism from others on substantive topics in ways that does not require impartial oversight. I am far from perfect when identifying civil ways of talking about divisive subjects (does that make me unhuman by my own standard?), and if the Republican debates are any indication, it may be humans generally are nowhere near where my hopes.
I began writing this before the March 10, 2016 edition of the Republican Presidential debate. While I admit I did not watch the March 10 debate because I wrongly assumed it would be another verbal free-for-all continuing to make the “R” next to names of elected officials stand for “Raucous,” the four candidates were relatively mild-mannered.
We are far from the November General Election, and to be fair, the Democratic debates have had moments of heightened coarseness. The question now is, have the tides changed, or is this more like the eye of a hurricane: peace between moments of chaos?
If some of the supporters and protestors at recent rallies of candidates are any indication, the answer may be neither. I hope – pray – that eventually this bedlam will begin to subside and we can look back at this time and take note. Some of the lessons may have applications already. If you work for a local, state, or the federal government, or even in the service industry or in education, take note if and when you receive training regarding interacting with residents, customers, students, or co-workers. If a complaint reaches you, take it seriously. Remember, one of your responsibilities is to serve the public, customers, or students. If a co-worker, manager, or employee approaches with a concern, take it seriously. Remember, you spend eight or more hours a day, forty or more hours a week with those you work alongside. I know I am naïve and am showing my millennial side to think that some issues can be solved by simply accepting constructive criticism, having an open dialogue, and being nice (the list could go on). Yet sometimes the simplest things have the most impact. Will it hurt to give it a try?
