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We Need Multiple Angles of Experience, Perspective to Build a Better Asheville |
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by Dr. Carl Mumpower
Op-Ed
Asheville Citizen-Times
September 7, 2003
In
a better world one might harvest the truth with little or no effort.
The good guys and the bad guys would be as readily identifiable as
those of an old western. Justice and fine things would happen, but
courage, character and responsibility would not be a necessary part of
the equation. Everything would be clear and comfortably aligned with
our own personal sense of the way things should be. We dont live in
that world.
In a few short months, Asheville voters will step
forward and select three members for City Council. In the interim, we
can be guaranteed a hefty dose of maneuvering and political nonsense.
If early trends continue, fact and truth will be a casualty of this
persisting tussle for the hearts and minds of Asheville. This struggle,
like all wars, has soldiers and some of them are out to win at any
cost–including the common good.
There are some in our community
who thrive on highlighting our differences and driving a wedge in the
cracks between us. For certain personalities there is personal comfort
in making others uncomfortable. Like an arsonist who sets a fire and
thrives on the disordered aftermath, these folds find their meaning in
feeding community fear, hurt and anger. Masquerading as advocates, they
are more accurately defined as predators–hiding in the chaos they help
create.
We have a wealth of special interest groups in
Asheville. At their best they raise our awareness and shine a light on
unmet needs. At their worst they join the fray and feed the conflic!
t.
Ev
ery special interest group can teach us something–no special interest
group can teach us everything. Their best contributions are to be found
through informed and measured service over more aggressive models. The
passions of a special interest can narrow into the impairment of a
selfish interest–to the detriment of our common interest.
If one
wished to do harm to a community, stimulating uninformed, harsh or
arrogant opinions would be an excellent place to start. Far too often,
the freedom to have an opinion is not wed to the responsibility to
generate views grounded in facts and a reasonable search for the
elusive truth.
It is far too easy, and perhaps just plain lazy,
to promote a perspective based strictly on personal preferences, needs
and feelings. In feeding the frenzy of unfettered opinions, one can
cloud the vision, exhaust the energies and distract the focus of those
who seek something better for our community.
Then there are
those who would make us victims. Author M. Scott Peck once wisely
shared "Life is hard." He didnt offer the qualification that this
truism applied only to a few of us. It can be well argued that we all
suffer in this world, but in different ways and at different times. It
follows that we are all in this together and no one has the market
cornered on misery and struggle. In claiming a unique position of
victimization based on gender, race, income, position or perspective,
we risk dividing our community into little islands of anger and
entitlement. A house, or community, divided, truly will not thrive in a
manner supportive of all its members.
We have a fair number of
"warriors" who like to play good guys and bad guys. There is solace in
simplifying the world to a black and white version of that old western
mentioned above. By believing we are good and they are bad, we are
validated in using methodologies w!
e might
not otherwise embrace.
Personal attack, deception and simplistic judgment can lead to a
pattern of escalating viciousness where no one wins. It is na?Øve to
believe that one can attack people into being better or that good
things routinely come from bad means. In truth we are all blessed with
a mixture of good and bad qualities that we are called to make better.
Of
particular concern are those who believe they are anointed with unique
insight or compassion. There are few more dangerous than those with a
mission to right wrongs through their sense of exceptional capacities.
Life is far too complex and confusing for any of us to be so wise or
altruistic. People of great mind and heart can differ in means and
methodologies from people of equal mind and heart and not be wrong or
indifferent. If an appointment card was held up, and the viewer was
asked to describe it, "appointment card" would be the likely response.
Yet
the person holding up the card, asked to respond to the same question,
would describe a "blank card" per his or her angle of view. Neither
would be wrong, dishonest or ignorant in offering a differing response.
Anointed people believe their angle of view is the correct one, and
heaven help those who believe otherwise. Solid communities are built on
multiple angles of experience and perspective–we know more together
than apart.
Responding to a critic, Dwight Eisenhower once
remarked, "Whats wrong with the middle of the road? Thats where you
find the usable surface. The danger is in the ditches."
As this
City Council campaign proceeds, it is in our interest to search for
candidates who will work to stay out of the ditches. There are those
who understand that in Asheville we can have unity without uniformity,
and that the struggle for balance and the common good is worth the
fight. Candidates who inform us of their princip!
les vers
us seduce us
with their promises will serve us best. We will gain from the wisdom of
those individuals who seek to bring us together as an alternative to
feeding our fears and aggravating our separation.
That better
world discussed earlier doesnt exist except in our imaginations, but
we can get closer to it if we get closer to one another. Resisting the
temptations of criticism, divisiveness and extremism can help. Reaching
a little deeper to better understand and encourage one another can, too.
Our
darker side as individuals and a community holds no sway over our
goodness unless we allow it to happen. There will never be a better
world or a better Asheville unless we make it so. Voting might be a
good place to start ...
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