The greatest threat to Scotland is neither the economic nor the legal consequences of a Yes/No outcome, but the inability of voters to accept a decision they didnt vote for. The reason many of us in the middle refused to engage publicly for so long was the prevalence of seemingly fundamentalist positions on both sides of the argument. Who doesnt have a Facebook feed inundated by links to evidence that is clearly being selected to support an individuals faith-based position? At the extremes, this comes across as a near religious experience - no self doubt, no questioning of ones feelings, and an endless need to rationalise ones own belief system by picking and choosing evidence. Regardless of whether its Yes or No, the abundance of people whose position seems to be more religious than rational makes this a wholly unpalatable discourse to engage with, and the strength of feeling makes it difficult to imagine that it will simply go away on 19th September. I am worried about the economic, legal, cultural and societal consequences regardless of the outcome. My worries about a Yes outcome are different from my worries about a No. But one thing is for certain - there will be a decision one way or the other, and a huge proportion of the Scottish public are going to be left utterly, utterly distraught. My appeal to everyone this week is not to vote Yes. Yes is my complicated and at times shaky position, and as Ive said previously I have no intention of making others agree with me. My appeal is to everyone - especially those who have always known theyd vote Yes or No - to take some time this week to imagine one thing. Id like you to image that there is a possibility that you are wrong. Im sure that many people have weighed this up, and that there are more people in the middle than any poll can really reveal. But its essential for the post referendum period that everyone is able to empathise with others positions. I worry that too many Yes people are of the opinion that, if those who voted No cant accept a Yes decision, well they know where the A1 is. At the same time, I worry that too many No people assume that, after a No decision, we can all just go back to normal and pretend it never happened, ignoring the reality that the ferocity and pessimism of the No campaign has likely done irreparable damage to the Scottish psyche. People may abandon Scotland in their thousands in the event of either outcome - Yes voters who see this as the last chance to escape a British establishment they are ideologically opposed to, and No voters who feel so British that they think they will suddenly become foreigners in their own country. Its vital that we try to understand each other, particularly at the extremes, if Scotland is to survive this process. We cannot afford for such large swathes of our society to lose the will to live and work in Scotland. Yes voters need to be committed to working towards a better and stronger society in the event of a No, rather than simply writing Scotland off. Equally, No voters need to see that Scotland is not going to become foreign to them so long as they stay and help to shape it. You can guarantee that Scotland and England will be two of the most similar societies and cultures in the world regardless of the outcome, and will always be excellent neighbours regardless of whether their democratic systems are shared or distinct. Failing to empathise with the positions of those with opposing views can do us a great deal of harm. And above all, this is what I fear on 19th September, much more than my economic fears after a Yes or democratic fears after as No. Its certainly been a divisive campaign, but also one that is by far and away one of the most peaceful drives towards independence from a great power that there has even been. Accusations of bullying tactics or blatant lying are not unfounded, but we dont need to look too far to see examples of violent separation that have permanently damaged national relations and even torn families apart. But families and friends can still be torn apart by this peaceful campaign if there is no understanding and no reconciliation. As a start point, Id recommend acknowledging at least one negative aspect of your position and one positive aspect of the opposing position. This does not expose weakness in your resolve or in the side of the argument you have aligned with. It is not a black and white argument - its a complicated decision with many ramifications. If you can make some in-roads towards understanding why the opposing side may have a point, then Im sure that Scotland will be a better and stronger society on 19th September regardless of the result.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 14:13:55 +0000
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