October Blog

This past week I went to a presentation on Civic Engagement. KSDE hosted the event for teachers and administrators. The presenter began his talk asking the question, “Why do we need to Improve Civic Engagement?” To answer the question, he shared our state’s ranking in following areas:

Kansas ranks:

• 41^st in voter turnout for local elections

• 38^th in doing favors for neighbors

• 33^rd in talking with neighbors

• 27^th in expressing our opinions on the internet

• 24^th in discussing politics with family and friends

• 23^rd in voting

Looking at this data it is obvious that something needs to be done to engage citizens, especially our younger generations, in upholding civic duties and responsibilities. The majority of time was spent addressing the ideas listed above as well as discussing possible opportunities for schools to help teach students the importance of civic engagement.

One particular discussion that caught my attention was related to the internet & social media. My interpretation of the conversation was our society’s lack of ability to listen to the opinions of other people that my not agree with our own opinions.

A phrase that is rarely used anymore, “I guess we will just have to agree to disagree.” In my opinion we have eliminated what used to be known as “gray area”. If someone disagrees with what we say, they are wrong. Period. We will not listen to any type of argument. We rarely consider changing our mind. A quote my dad used regularly, “A wise man can change his mind, but a fool never does.” Not sure where he got this, but I think it is very relevant.

A perfect example of this can be seen on my Facebook Page. I have friends that are liberals, conservatives, Democrats & Republicans. I can see a wide range of posts supporting as well as bashing especially in the area of politics. What bothers me, is when I go read the comments, there is never any comments like, “That is an interesting idea,” or “I never thought of it that way.” The only comments are either in support or calling it “Fake News”.

Our great nation was established on allowing people to form their own opinions. Just because a person has a different opinion than you, does not make them wrong or rude. It just makes their opinion different. I feel that sometimes we take ourselves and our opinions too seriously. So the next time your opinion is challenged, don’t become defensive or aggressive, take a minute and listen. I am not saying you have to change your mind, but people need to have an open mind and the ability to respect opinions that are contrary to yours.

I am as guilty an anybody of letting emotion cloud my judgement about what to post or how to respond to posts that are different than my opinion. Being combative or seeking revenge is not the answer. Take time to discuss, face to face is the best way in my opinion.