I’ve long written about the need to cherish the many things in life above politics, especially including the ability to break bread together even if you have political differences. The alternative, as I wrote just a month ago, is soul-crushing.
So I am very encouraged to see these two columns in The News & Observer online today. Connie Ledoux Book, president of Elon University, writes about the importance of civil dialogue, arguing that “We can teach our students how to disagree.” Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, author and chaired professor of ethics at Duke University, makes the case that society needs good argument. He provides a compelling example:
“Best of Enemies,” by Osha Gray Davidson, tells an instructive story of overcoming extreme polarization. Ann Atwater was a leader in the Durham civil rights movement. C. P. Ellis was Exalted Cyclops of the local Ku Klux Klan. Yet they became close friends. How?
They began by asking questions, listening to each other, and giving reasons. Atwater fought to improve housing, because she wanted her children to have better lives. Ellis opposed integration in public schools, but mainly because he wanted his children to get a good education. When each learned the other’s reasons for their positions, they could build on shared values, respect each other, and work together.
I see these columns as a welcome addition to the example-setting being made by the North Carolina Leadership Forum at Duke University. We need adults across the political spectrum showing how to differ respectfully — and keep politics in its proper, limited sphere in human interactions.
