Anna Quindlen on Ronald Reagan
See: "Personality, Not Policy," by Anna Quindlen (posted at MSNBC)
One of the things about Reagan's death that continues to intrigue me is how effectively it has opened up people's mouths. Suddenly, the letters to the editors pages are full of what we knew was true, but that was somehow hiding from view: we are a periously polarized nation. I don't know that this column by Anna Quindlen helps resolve that divide -- right now one of the most interesting questions I can think of is what on earth will? As someone standing on her side of the deepening chasm, I appreciate her points --- even if I do so with a little guilt, aware that seeking the gratification of having someone agree with me doesn't move any of us closer to a solution to our polarization as a nation and the politics of exclusion and retaliation that inevitably ensue. So, what purpose do I serve by linking to her column? Maybe, absurdly, I hope that it will help others, like me, to find each other -- people who value a united cooperative society over an angrily divided one, even if it isn't at all clear how to go forward to heal without compromising the things that matter most (to each side) --- yet.
One of the things about Reagan's death that continues to intrigue me is how effectively it has opened up people's mouths. Suddenly, the letters to the editors pages are full of what we knew was true, but that was somehow hiding from view: we are a periously polarized nation. I don't know that this column by Anna Quindlen helps resolve that divide -- right now one of the most interesting questions I can think of is what on earth will? As someone standing on her side of the deepening chasm, I appreciate her points --- even if I do so with a little guilt, aware that seeking the gratification of having someone agree with me doesn't move any of us closer to a solution to our polarization as a nation and the politics of exclusion and retaliation that inevitably ensue. So, what purpose do I serve by linking to her column? Maybe, absurdly, I hope that it will help others, like me, to find each other -- people who value a united cooperative society over an angrily divided one, even if it isn't at all clear how to go forward to heal without compromising the things that matter most (to each side) --- yet.
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