Battles We Can Win

People say West Virginia is the second reddest state in the US.  Stand on a corner with a sign that says “Dump Trump” and it probably won’t go over very well.  And yet… 

I have stood week after week in front of the court house in Charles Town, West Virginia with signs that say “Save Medicare”, “Save Social Security”, “Save the Department of Education”, “Save the Post Office”, and “Save the Weather Service,” and the vast majority of people who see them react positively.  They cheer.  They honk their horns.  They wave and smile.  

Even signs that are a little more pointed like “Hate Won’t Make US Great”, “Healthcare is NOT Waste” and “70 Million Americans Depend on Medicaid” go over very well.  Passersby even join us and help hold up our signs. 

How can this be?  Charles Town is working class.  Many of the drivers who cheer are in pickup trucks.  They have flannel shirts and cigarettes and American flags on their bumpers.  And they agree with us on what we consider core Democratic messages.  Are we really so different?  What happens if we are smarter about how we approach people with different political views?  

The fact is most Americans in both major parties want schools that work, good quality affordable healthcare, safe communities, a fair tax system, a strong government, and a good economy.  Not everyone who voted for Trump wanted everything that the Trump administration is doing now.  Not everyone who voted for Biden agreed with every single thing his administration did.  And there is no evidence that the majority of people in either party lack intelligence.  

Even if we have strong opinions about deeply divisive issues, we don’t need to start our conversations with them.  We can start where we have common ground:  Fund schools; protect Social Security; keep Medicare and Medicaid working; only deport immigrants who have broken the law; protect our National Parks; save our Post Office, our Weather Service, our scientists and our medical research.  Let’s protect the vulnerable:  aid those who are poor, handicapped, sick or disabled.  Stop pollution and build necessary infrastructure.  There are so many things that the vast majority of Americans agree are good and important.  We can win the battles for these things. 

So, when someone voices an opinion that we disagree with, instead of getting frustrated or writing them off as mean, stupid, or uninformed, maybe we can ask them “Why do you think that?” or “Can you tell me how that will improve things?”  And listen to their answers.  They are far more likely to listen to us if we listen to them first.  And we are far more likely to come up with arguments that address their worries, if we know what made them choose what they chose in the first place.  Our goal is not to cause anger.  Our goal is to share our point of view, and possibly strategize with others about better ways to achieve things.  Maybe we can discuss some of the downfalls to one approach versus another, and maybe we can learn something, and maybe convince them to vote differently next time. 

Jenny Thacker