“If we are going to heal the divisions in this country, we need to understand what is driving the people we oppose, their motivations, if you will.”
“I know what drives the people I oppose.”
“You do?”
“Yes. They want to kill me.”
“Now, now. I know that it may sometimes feel that way, but if we are to make any progress, you’ll have to stop engaging in exaggeration and try to see their point of view.”
“I’m not exaggerating. They literally want to kill me. It’s right there on their web sites and in their chants at rallies.”
“Why, if I may ask, would people you don’t know, people who don’t know you want to kill you?”
“They’re fascists.”
“Now, what have I said about labelling people?”
“They want to replace our democratically elected leaders with a dictator! They want to expel or kill as many members of racial or religious minorities as they can so that white Christians can rule the country. That’s not labelling – that’s the textbook definition of fascism!“
“I know this is an emotional subject for you -“
“Not dying is an emotional subject for most people.”
“Hmm…I suppose Freud would agree with you, what with the subconscious death wish and all that. Still I must insist you make an effort to keep your voice down. Anger is a barrier to understanding. Have you even tried to understand what made the people you oppose the way they are?”
“It’s really irrelevant why people who want to kill you are the way they are. They want to kill you! You don’t really need to know more than that to want to defend yourself.”
“Mmm…I can see that you’re really locked into this point of view. That makes it very difficult to move forward. Still, if we want the country to heal, we must make the effort. Do you think you can set aside your judgment and find common ground?”
“You want me to find common ground?”
“That’s right.”
“With people who want to kill me?”
“That is your perception, something you need to move beyond if, as I say, we are to heal the country.”
“Common ground, eh? Like…we all like puppies and ice cream and don’t really understand what post-modernism was all about – especially the people who claim they do know what post-modernism was all about?”
“I’m sensing that you’re not taking this entirely seriously.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“I am?”
“I’m not taking this at all seriously.”
“Can you not see that it is your flippant attitude that is holding us back from the healing this nation so desperately needs?”
“Can you not see that psychological dogma is not helpful in solving what is essentially a political problem?”
“Your resistance to change is strong, but I’m not going to give up on you.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Hunh. Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“You seem to spend a lot of time trying to convince me and my friends and colleagues to see the point of view of the people who wish us dead. Have you ever tried to talk to the people who wish us dead? Have you ever tried to get them to see why we would wish to stay alive?”
“I, uhh, did try one time, yes…”
“What happened?”
“I – they chased me out of their compound with semi-automatic rifles. They…promised that if I ever tried to psychoanalyze them again, they wouldn’t be shooting over my head. I…I decided not to, you know, try again.”
“Because you wanted to stay alive.”
“Exactly.”
“Then, why is it so hard for you to understand that I want to stay alive?”
“It’s not that I don’t understand that you want to stay alive. What I’m trying to get you to see is that you have to move beyond that belief so that we can get to a place of mutual understanding that will be the foundation of a lasting peace in our country.”
“I’m hanging up, now. Please don’t call me again.”
“Now, now, there’s no call for threats. If we could just continue this dialogue, I’m sure we could come to -“
CLICK!
“Well, that was hostile…”