When it comes to getting news about politics and government, liberals and conservatives inhabit different worlds, the report states. There is little overlap in the news sources they turn to and trust. We are a nation with a growing number of people who arent open to debate. They know what the answers are, and they want them reinforced. They gravitate to venues where never is heard a discouraging word about their take. So weve got a fifth of our citizens living in a news bubble. Whats more, Pew says, this group has an impact that goes well beyond the actual number. Pew says that 20% have a greater impact on the political process than do those with more mixed ideological views. They are the most likely to vote, donate to campaigns and participate directly in politics...they tend to be influencers, who can shape the views of others. One cool tidbit: People with consistently liberal views have no sense of humor when it comes to dissent. They are more likely than those in other ideological groups to block or defriend someone on a social network — as well as to end a personal friendship — because of politics, the report said. ~ Rem Rieder, USA TODAY Let me say right up front that I almost didnt share this, despite my respect for The Pew Research Center, because Im sure its going to bring a flood of comments from partisans on both sides as to how dysfunctional the other side is, accompanied by their favorite surveys, studies and articles to back them up. Bunk. Setting aside for a moment the fact that There is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10), I believe there are gems and jerks within every human assemblage, and while assigning fixed characteristics or tendencies to a group of people makes it easier to dismiss, denigrate or demean them, its an act of intellectual indolence and condescension. I will confess to an irrational disgust over stereotypes because Ive been on the receiving end of their false assumptions for most of my life. Because I dont fit the stereotype of what a black man should be, people who dont know me and, regrettably, some who do, have reached conclusions about me that are utterly baseless. I acknowledge broad labels only to the extent that they are a form of shorthand which can be helpful in establishing a starting point for further interaction. For example, contrary to what you might presume of me as a conservative, I dont watch Fox News. It doesnt reflect my opinions about them one way or another - Ive been on Fox News and met some of their on-air talent, and they have always treated me well. Im just not a consumer of television news of any kind because I prefer more substantive sources which I can ponder on my schedule, not theirs. We are each fearfully and wonderfully made, a unique being in Gods creation, and there has not been one like us before, there is none like us now, nor will there ever be one like us again. Therefore, my daily interaction with my fellow human beings is comprised of individual transactions, and I evaluate each one on its own merits. The response Id prefer to see to an article such as this would be one of alarm that the most engaged and influential among us are so polarized that we cannot acknowledge that we all want good lives for ourselves, our families and communities, and that while we differ on the methods through which to accomplish those goals, a dialogue grounded in transparency, humility and grace is a great place to begin discussing potential solutions. But Im not hopeful. Politics has become an incredibly destructive force in America today; its like a toxin thats seeped into the flow of public discourse and poisoned our cohesiveness as a nation. We may have all come on different ships, but were in the same boat now. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 18:15:07 +0000
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