2007-10-03

esmio06: (Default)
2007-10-03 11:55 am

politics...

I was just holding a conversation with a coworker who said something you hear a lot, "I try to never talk about 2 things: religion and politics."
This got me thinking. I know that is a common saying, but it may be a fundamental problem as well. The nation was built on the idea that democracy worked because the people were informed about issues. The federalist papers were on this very issue. Can the people could rule themselves, or do they need a wise elite to govern them and make all decisions.
If people don't want to have open discourse on issues anymore, how can we stay truly informed? By not talking "religion or politics" opinions never hear the opposite side of what they believe and the nation becomes more and more polarized.
It is time that we re-open dialogue and get rid of the fears of offending people who dont agree with us.
It is time that we learn to hear other opinions, mix them with our own and maybe come up with new ideas.