Cohousing-L Mailing List: red/blue schism

[Saoirse Charis-Graves (ccharis]

I think the person who wrote that she found the "us-them" mentality 
off-putting has a valid point, one that I am currently feeling some 
passion about. So, as risky as it may be, here are a couple of 
comments.

I have a friend -- a good friend, someone I care about, a truly good 
person who listens and pays attention to others when they speak from 
the heart -- who doesn't come to my cohousing community because we both 
fear he might encounter comments that would make him uncomfortable. He 
is politically conservative and voted for Bush. I am afraid the casual 
assumption that EVERYONE who understands anything hates Bush and 
everything he stands for would come out in conversation over dinner.

I listened carefully to Barack Obama's speech at the DNC. I have been 
reading articles about how to bridge the gap between the 
black-and-white (red vs. blue) thinking of our current political 
environment. I am very interested in the recently released "God's 
Politics" by Jim Wallis, a "progressive evangelical," who criticizes 
both parties and lays out some ideas for bringing the two into common 
ground. And the March/April issue of "Utne Reader," with a fascinating 
feature on the whole question of morals and values in today's America.

I am neither evangelical nor religious, but I am spiritual. I'd like to 
think that "progressive" means inclusive, with room for discussion 
about what we are FOR instead of what we are against. I think there is 
common ground (and maybe some purple) in that kind of discussion. And 
I'd like to think that educated, self-initiating, community-minded 
folks like those who live in cohousing might value that kind of 
discussion.

I worry about casting all conservatives, all Republicans, all 
evangelicals into the same pot. It seems to me that to move forward, we 
can't just take sides and drum up a set of new weapons.  Rather, it 
seems to me,  we need to move into "common neutral ground" and speak in 
language that connects us rather than separates us.

I'm not looking to stir the pot so much as to dip my toe in the water 
and see if others have been wondering the same thing.

Saoirse

Harmony Village Cohousing
http://www.harmonyvillage.org