Friends, Can We Talk?

One of my favorite quotes comes from Napoleon Bonaparte who once eloquently articulated, “A leader is a dealer in hope.” I want to be that kind of leader. I want to change lives by dealing hope to everyone I come in contact with. I pray that my circle of influence, no matter how big, or how small, will be filled with hope for a healthier life, a stronger community, a richer conversation, a deeper faith, and a better tomorrow.

Two nights ago, I was laying in my bed, vehemently praying for my brother, who is very ill, for our broken, and divided nation, and for the shutdown and censorship of multiple voices on social media platforms.

As a retired homeschool mom, I just couldn’t understand the later. Where in history can you find an example of healing and restoration in a country when people choose to close down free speech? (Not a rhetorical question. If you do have an example, I would love to discuss the details.). I would even take it a step further, where have you ever seen a broken marriage healed and restored when a partner decides the other’s ideas are not worthy of consideration?

In home education our family studied classically. That means in the preschool & elementary years, when the kids were little sponges and parrots, we learned lots of facts. We memorized ABCs, rhymes, math facts, US states, the world’s tallest mountains on each continent, scripture verses, the Bill of Rights ect…

About the time of middle school we began to have discussions and start to put those facts into some sort of learning sequence. We discussed why people thought Galileo was crazy and threatened to put him in prison for saying the earth revolved around the sun, unlike what was was commonly thought at that time.

We discussed art, the period of Impressionism, and questioned why these pieces of art we now consider masterpieces, like Monet’s Impression: Sunrise, were once thought to be “crap”.

We learned Logic, and discussed how we could recognize a good argument, versus an ad hominem fallacy, where people attack the person saying it, as opposed to actually analyzing and dissecting the argument.

Then we we moved into high school and that’s where the conversation began to get lively. At this point nothing was off the table.

They took what they learned and began to write in a way as to persuade others. The students had to not only provide facts about George Washington, but also ask questions, like what made him the best man for the job, and then eloquently put pen to paper and persuade others.

At this time we began policy debate, and asked questions that affect everyday Americans like: Should marijuana be legalized? Should convicted felons, who have already paid their sentence, be allowed to vote? Should President Trump build a wall along our Mexican border? Should the US states have the death penalty?

The students picked out of a hat and were assigned an affirmative or negative side. They may or may not have already had an opinion on the subject. They also might have to argue the opposite viewpoint, as to what they already held as the truth. At this point they were given a couple weeks to gather and document legit evidence, meet with their partner, write up their speeches, and present.

This was a time of maturity and growth, an opportunity for the students to listen carefully, debate artfully, ask themselves questions, and discover what they truly believed. Not what they had previously been told by their friends. Sometimes even challenging their parents beliefs.

There was more than one time over the years, that I went in with my mind already made up, only to have it changed after listening to my students passionately defend their position, within the assigned time restraints.

Conversation, differing ideas, the art of persuasion, personal freedom, these are all values we hold dear as Americans.

So many times over the past year, I have noticed a particular trend in my Facebook feed. People with differing opinions, shouting out viewpoints, as if every word was true gospel, leaving no opening for discourse. It reminds me of the kid standing on top of the sand hill, hands on hips, daring the others to knock him off.

In this age of information and misinformation, it’s easy for someone to attack someone else’s beliefs, but unfortunately usually I just see them attacking one another. I guess social media allows for a certain boldness, or perhaps it just creates a platform for bully’s? Does bullying, shaming, and putting others down ever open doors to rich and meaningful conversation?

I believe freedom of speech, deep conversations, healthy debate, and respect instead of disdain, for those whose ideology and opinions differ from yours, is necessary for a healthy nation.

I would implore my friends to fight the tyranny of censorship, by leading by example.

We can’t make big tech play nice. We can’t make people with power and money choose to use it for good. We can’t convince people who disagree with us of the truth that Ronald Reagan profoundly proclaimed, “Freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction.”

But…..

We can deal hope….

We can decide how we show up on social media. We can use our words to heal and not harm others. We can use the platform we have, to speak truth, to fight injustice, to share our voice, and to invite others into discourse of differing thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints.

We don’t have to agree. One of us doesn’t have to win. Anger doesn’t have to rule our hearts. But in order for our nation to survive and flourish, our First Amendment right, freedom of speech, must not only be respected, but also must never be suppressed, repealed, or restrained. ❤️🇺🇸