“…our founding concept of universal equality, in a country where one-fifth of the population was enslaved, led to an increase in racial prejudice by creating a cognitive dissonance — one that could be resolved only by the white citizenry’s assumption of Black inferiority and inhumanity. It’s an unsettling idea, that the most revered ideal of the Declaration of Independence might be considered our original divisive concept.” The New York Times, 2021
I’m resisting the typical end-of-the-year round-up: posts I’ve written, topics we’ve discussed in the last year. Instead, I’ll focus on one word, one idea that might propel our way to substantive change in the coming new year. And that word is “divisive”.
At first blush, it appears counter-intuitive — divisiveness is supposedly a negative concept, especially considering today’s politics as one pertinent example. Rather, we should strive to come together to solve problems, work “across the aisle” and stop the inflammatory talk that, well, leads to divisiveness.
I’m all for uniting and working together, but it can’t always accomplish the substantive change that moves us forward as a country — to jump start the change perhaps a different tactic is needed, and the consensus and working across the aisle parts come at the end.
