Last May, the Roanoke Collaboration Project (RCP) held a forum of nearly 100 Roanoke Valley leaders. A vision for our Valley was created: Common Name: a future where we no longer identify only by our specific town or county but proudly say, “I am from the Roanoke Valley.”
Economic Vitality: A region so cohesive and workforce-ready those businesses are eager to relocate here, keeping our talented students local.
Neighborhood Equity: A Valley where the “life expectancy gap” is closed, and everyone – regardless of zip code – is housed, fed, and thriving.
Any reader opposed to this vision for our Valley, or a similar vision for our country, please raise your hand. Ahhh. No hands go up. If we all agree, what could stop us?
The biggest barrier is how we select those tasked to lead us to this vision. It is a well-intended system. But conflict entrepreneurs have learned to “game the system” so that, in practice it has evolved away from our shared values of decency, fairness, and equal opportunity. We the People have shaped this system by allowing ourselves to be influenced by slick marketing. It is up to us, We the People, to put the best system possible back on course.
While we may share the same goals, honest people have different ideas about how best to achieve them. Those whom we might label as conservatives have one set of ideas while those we might label as progressives have a different set of ideas. Contrary to what those political ads say, having such differences is actually an asset. Here’s why.
The biggest challenges that our Valley, and our country, face can be described as “wicked problems.” Such problems are complex, interconnected, and shaped by differing values, priorities and perspectives. Examples include health outcomes, economic opportunity, artificial intelligence, housing, immigration, systemic racism, education, injustice or democratic trust.
It is the height of arrogance to think that any one person, or any one group, has all the answers to wicked problems. Having people with different points of view encourages us to think more carefully and creatively. Doing the work of such thinking, that takes different ideas into account, leads to superior, sustainable, solutions. One-sided solutions fail the sustainability test.
But such thoughtfulness is hard work. We only force ourselves to do it when we value the relationships we have with those in “the other group.” And there is always that “other group.” We live in a community, which means that we don’t get to have total control. Mature people don’t always have to get their way.
Which brings us to the midterms.
The ads you will see from most politicians treat their opponent as if they are morally degenerate scum. Such ads are designed to enflame us against the “other side” by name calling, ridicule, and distorting their ideas. Sadly, it works. It gets votes. Those who design the ads are professionals who have mastered the art of bypassing our thinking brain and going directly to pure emotions. They attempt to manipulate us into wanting to win at all costs; to clobber those “other guys” even if the outcome destroys the trust we need to have in each other to have a functional community once the election is over.
We need those “other guys.” We can’t solve wicked problems alone. And those “other guys” live in our community. We do business with them. We drive on the same roads. Our children go to the same schools. We depend on their tax revenue to fund our government services.
RCP takes the position that elections should be about ideas, character and judgment. Everyone opposed to those qualifications please raise your hand. Again, no hands go up.
It is up to us, We the People, to vote for those candidates who show us their ideas, character, and judgment by how they campaign. Rather than reward conflict entrepreneurs for manipulating our emotions, we can change the system by rewarding responsible campaigning. The most responsible campaigners will demonstrate an ability to generate reality-based hope, not fear; and compassion, not rage.
RCP Steering Committee: Dr. Dana Ackley, Rev. George Anderson, Katherin Elam, Jay Foster, William Fralin, Cynthia Lawrence, Lee Learman, MD, Rev. Bill Lee, Chris Morrill, Dr. David Points, Wayne Strickland, Joyce Waugh.
RCP is a group of civic-minded volunteers in the Roanoke Valley who believe that courageous collaboration among diverse stakeholders is the key to forming relationships, building trust, bridging divides, and producing sustainable solutions. Please visit Home – Roanoke Collaboration Project to view and take our Civility Pledge.
Submitted by Dana C. Ackley, Ph.D., President of EQ Leader, Inc.
