A Key to Unity in American Politics

[Vambram]

A Key to Unity in American Politics

As the calls for unity in this nation grow stronger, it is important to think about how this unity can be achieved. When I survey the U.S. social and political

washingtonstand.com

As the calls for unity in this nation grow stronger, it is important to think about how this unity can be achieved. When I survey the U.S. social and political landscape, one key attribute I see missing is empathy. If we wish to be unified, we must learn to love the person with opposing views, even if we hate a policy or behavior that person is promoting.

In politics, we don’t always understand the reasons for a movement and are prone to only address issues at the surface-level. For example, when discussing matters related to feminism, there is a tendency to only focus on some of the issues that have grown out of the movement, like the abortion question, rather than trying to understand the personal experiences or trauma that might have led the other person to hold a particular opinion. A deeper understanding would enable a more comprehensive, empathetic discussion on the underlying issues rather than just the visible outcomes.

As the nation grapples with the idea of unity, I propose that we hold onto truth but with an empathetic listening ear. Let’s make an effort to understand the circumstances that have led a person to hold a particular social or political position. As we listen, let’s ask God for the kind of wisdom and understanding that sets people free. As Proverbs 21:22 says, “A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the trusted stronghold.”

 

[AlexB23]

A Key to Unity in American Politics

As the calls for unity in this nation grow stronger, it is important to think about how this unity can be achieved. When I survey the U.S. social and political

washingtonstand.com

As the calls for unity in this nation grow stronger, it is important to think about how this unity can be achieved. When I survey the U.S. social and political landscape, one key attribute I see missing is empathy. If we wish to be unified, we must learn to love the person with opposing views, even if we hate a policy or behavior that person is promoting.

In politics, we don’t always understand the reasons for a movement and are prone to only address issues at the surface-level. For example, when discussing matters related to feminism, there is a tendency to only focus on some of the issues that have grown out of the movement, like the abortion question, rather than trying to understand the personal experiences or trauma that might have led the other person to hold a particular opinion. A deeper understanding would enable a more comprehensive, empathetic discussion on the underlying issues rather than just the visible outcomes.

As the nation grapples with the idea of unity, I propose that we hold onto truth but with an empathetic listening ear. Let’s make an effort to understand the circumstances that have led a person to hold a particular social or political position. As we listen, let’s ask God for the kind of wisdom and understanding that sets people free. As Proverbs 21:22 says, “A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the trusted stronghold.”

Amen to this. We need more empathy in the 21st century, which sadly, the main two candidates that we have do not show much of.

That is why I am really thinking about going for Peter Sonski, a guy who care about the lives of the unborn, as well as the climate and American energy independence. While I do not like the Washington Stand that much, this article was done pretty well. My parents might go third party this year, and I will tell them about Peter Sonski. @chevyontheriver introduced me to him. And yes, some (not all) atheist folks here might attack me for going with Sonski cos he is a true Christian instead of going for Joe, but I will hold my head up high.

Quote from Catholic News Agency: "Around the mid-1990s, Sonski said, he became disenchanted with both major U.S. political parties. Republicans didn’t seem, at least in Sonski’s eyes, to be fulfilling the Christian mandate of caring for the poor, while the Democratic Party appeared to be going in an ever more pro-abortion direction."

Peter Sonski is Christian:

Meet Peter Sonski, the Catholic you’ve never heard of who’s running for president

Peter Sonski is the 2024 presidential nominee for the American Solidarity Party (ASP), a young, small, but growing pro-life political party.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

 

[rambot]

Hard to ask for unity when you lie so much.

 

[Laodicean60]

As the calls for unity in this nation grow stronger, it is important to think about how this unity can be achieved.

Unfortunately, this happens only when someone almost gets his head blown off or we have a 9/11 incident. Too bad something catastrophic has to happen before people peep outside their tribal box.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

9/11

We had unity for a brief time. Didn't we. As if we were all attacked and in pain. The trauma brought us together. But it didn't last very long.
Prior to that WWI but certainly not Vietnam or Korea.

 

[JustOneWay]

"During my time at this clinic, I led a group for survivors of domestic violence. One of my clients was a Christian woman who worked as a pediatrician. She came to my group after her husband beat her with a baseball bat, nearly killing her. She spent a long time in the hospital recovering, and while she was there, her pastor came to visit her. The pastor looked at her, body casts and all, and said, to my dismay, “Well, you married him, so you’ll have to stay with him.”

Thankfully, my client did not listen to his advice, and she was able to escape a relationship that probably would have killed her."

Here is the empathy. Return America in time so we can deal with more battered spouses. I hear talk of empathy, then I see the right gearing up to put women back in their place. It seems that the right has mistaken tough love for empathy. Poor men today. They don't know what to do. Where have all the cowboys gone?

The Christian right is coming for divorce next​

Today, however, a counter-revolution is brewing: Conservative commentators and lawmakers are calling for an end to no-fault divorce, arguing that it has harmed men and even destroyed the fabric of society.

 

[Belk]

A Key to Unity in American Politics

As the calls for unity in this nation grow stronger, it is important to think about how this unity can be achieved. When I survey the U.S. social and political

washingtonstand.com

As the calls for unity in this nation grow stronger, it is important to think about how this unity can be achieved. When I survey the U.S. social and political landscape, one key attribute I see missing is empathy. If we wish to be unified, we must learn to love the person with opposing views, even if we hate a policy or behavior that person is promoting.

In politics, we don’t always understand the reasons for a movement and are prone to only address issues at the surface-level. For example, when discussing matters related to feminism, there is a tendency to only focus on some of the issues that have grown out of the movement, like the abortion question, rather than trying to understand the personal experiences or trauma that might have led the other person to hold a particular opinion. A deeper understanding would enable a more comprehensive, empathetic discussion on the underlying issues rather than just the visible outcomes.

As the nation grapples with the idea of unity, I propose that we hold onto truth but with an empathetic listening ear. Let’s make an effort to understand the circumstances that have led a person to hold a particular social or political position. As we listen, let’s ask God for the kind of wisdom and understanding that sets people free. As Proverbs 21:22 says, “A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the trusted stronghold.”

I agree with the sentiment. I will applaud it when it is put into practice. Certainly the "**** your feelings!" bumper stickers of the past make me doubt this will come to fruition.

 

[Laodicean60]

Here is the empathy.

Can you show me the empathy from your party versus the other? Because both are lacking in my view.

 

[Vambram]

Here is the empathy. Return America in time so we can deal with more battered spouses. I hear talk of empathy, then I see the right gearing up to put women back in their place.

What you believe that you are seeing is probably coming from a very small, and in my view, insignificant percentage of people on the far-right. The vast majority of conservatives do indeed believe that spousal abuse is unlawful. What we do need is more empathy from people and towards people who disagree with one another.

 

[AlexB23]

So, would any of you guys be willing to go with a 3rd party, pro-life Catholic, if both sides are not showing us empathy?

I know Catholics and Protestants differ when it comes to church traditions, but we all believe that Jesus died for our sins (John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 5:3), and that Christ will return again (Hebrews 9:28, Revelation 1:7).

Similarities between Protestants and Catholics (PDF):

https://www.northcoastcalvary.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Class-3-Shared-Beliefs-between-Roman-Catholics-and-Protestants-Handout.pdf

 

[JustOneWay]

What you believe that you are seeing is probably coming from a very small, and in my view, insignificant percentage of people on the far-right. The vast majority of conservatives do indeed believe that spousal abuse is unlawful. What we do need is more empathy from people and towards people who disagree with one another.

"insignificant percentage of people on the far-right" No, it will taken away in red states until people start learning a little empathy for battered women (a few men too) whose chances of be abused will increase while making it much more difficult to escape an abusive marriage.

Texas wants to do it. 189. No-Fault Divorce: The Texas Family Code shall be completely rewritten with regards to No-Fault
Divorce and Child Custody.

Conservatives in red states turn their attention to ending no-fault divorce laws​

The Coming Attack on an Essential Element of Women’s Freedom
But now conservative politicians in states such as Texas and Louisiana, as well as a devoutly Catholic husband who tried to halt his wife’s divorce efforts in Nebraska, are attacking no-fault divorce. One of the more alarming steps taken in that direction came from the Texas Republican Party, whose 2022 platform called on the legislature to “rescind unilateral no-fault divorce laws and support covenant marriage.” Given the Republican Party’s control of the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general, and both chambers of the state legislature, Texas has a chance of actually doing it.

Ben Carson calls for making divorce harder​

The recurring theme in all of this is that no-fault divorce is hurting men. I suppose this is just men empathizing with all those husbands who can't keep their spouse from wanting to leave them.

 

[Vambram]

Battered spouses should not need .... and do NOT need these "no fault" divorce laws. When a spouse batters and abuses the other spouse, that means that LAWS are being broken as well. Why does that mean that a wife would need a "no fault" divorce law to end the marriage with her husband? That makes absolutely ZERO sense to me.

 

[JustOneWay]

Can you show me the empathy from your party versus the other? Because both are lacking in my view.

Democrats are not calling to end no-fault divorce. Democrats did not end Roe. One side is showing little empathy towards the needs of women, and it is not the Democrats. If one sex cannot find the energy to empathize with the other sex, how is empathy going to happen amongst asylum seekers? Gay people? Trans people? This is America, home of the Free to do what I please, to get what I please, to go where I please and if anybody gets in my way I will be in their face. Such a selfish lifestyle is a direct result of a capitalist society. Good luck trying to change people's minds.

 

[Vambram]

The recurring theme in all of this is that no-fault divorce is hurting men. I suppose this is just men empathizing with all those husbands who can't keep their spouse from wanting to leave them.

in my opinion, I believe that this is over the top emotionalism. Each and every man whom I have EVER HAD any contact with in my 59 years of life knows absolutely for a fact that there is ABSOLUTELY ZERO excuse at all for a man to hit or physically hurt a woman!! In fact, myself and all of my friends and loved ones absolutely have nothing but complete disgust and contempt towards any man who abuses a woman.

 

[JustOneWay]

Battered spouses should not need .... and do NOT need these "no fault" divorce laws. When a spouse batters and abuses the other spouse, that means that LAWS are being broken as well. Why does that mean that a wife would need a "no fault" divorce law to end the marriage with her husband? That makes absolutely ZERO sense to me.

They do, and returning to the sixties will certainly be bad for women. Where is you empathy?

On the flip side, why do they want to end it if it won't change anything but benefit am man's ego? We poor men have it so rough....

 

[Vambram]

Democrats are not calling to end no-fault divorce. Democrats did not end Roe. One side is showing little empathy towards the needs of women, and it is not the Democrats. If one sex cannot find the energy to empathize with the other sex, how is empathy going to happen amongst asylum seekers? Gay people? Trans people? This is America, home of the Free to do what I please, to get what I please, to go where I please and if anybody gets in my way I will be in their face. Such a selfish lifestyle is a direct result of a capitalist society. Good luck trying to change people's minds.

This is part of the problem. In this post, I am not seeing any empathy towards the viewpoint and people that disagree with you.

 

[JustOneWay]

in my opinion, I believe that this is over the top emotionalism. Each and every man whom I have EVER HAD any contact with in my 59 years of life knows absolutely for a fact that there is ABSOLUTELY ZERO excuse at all for a man to hit or physically hurt a woman!! In fact, myself and all of my friends and loved ones absolutely have nothing but complete disgust and contempt towards any man who abuses a woman.

Are you saying that since you haven't seen it in your friends, abuse does not happen? OK

 

[Vambram]

They do, and returning to the sixties will certainly be bad for women. Where is you empathy?

On the flip side, why do they want to end it if it won't change anything but benefit am man's ego? We poor men have it so rough....

Essentially, it appears to me that you are ignoring ... or at least not responding. to half of my post. When a spouse batters and abuses the other spouse, that means that LAWS are being broken as well. Why does that mean that a wife would need a "no fault" divorce law to end the marriage with her husband? That makes absolutely ZERO sense to me.

 

[Vambram]

Are you saying that since you haven't seen it in your friends, abuse does not happen? OK

Please don't put words in my mouth. AT NO Time did I say that abuse does not happen. But, I do know that NONE of the people whom I know will ever give any excuse to attempt to justify abuse. Hitting and hurting a woman is wrong and sinful. PERIOD.

 

[JustOneWay]

This is part of the problem. In this post, I am not seeing any empathy towards the viewpoint and people that disagree with you.

I empathize with women, and nobody here has yet attempted to empathize with them regarding what I said. I will wait for some ladies to stop by and tell their side of the story.