{"id":5531,"date":"2017-03-16T21:21:45","date_gmt":"2017-03-17T04:21:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/?p=5531"},"modified":"2025-11-27T21:24:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T05:24:03","slug":"commentary-standing-on-common-ground-by-wendy-thomas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/2017\/03\/16\/commentary-standing-on-common-ground-by-wendy-thomas\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary – Standing on Common Ground by Wendy Thomas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wendy Thomas]<\/em><\/p>\n

— Common ground is the sacred space between divergent perspectives —<\/p>\n

The Urban Dictionary defines it as \u2026\u201dA common interest between two alienated parties who generally disagree with each other.\u201d \u00a0 This definition makes a thought-provoking assumption \u2026 that people dug into divergent perspectives can willingly work together to find a common interest.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s worth fighting for.<\/em><\/p>\n

As we\u00a0witness our society grow increasingly divisive with both sides of the aisle quick to point fingers to\u00a0the\u00a0\u201cother side\u201d<\/em>\u00a0as the root cause of all manner of evil, it\u2019s\u00a0easy to buy\u00a0into that narrative,\u00a0dig our heels into entrenched positions and lob hate-filled attacks at each other, especially on social media.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019re also pretty\u00a0good at labeling each other and then stuffing each other into the narrow box we\u2019ve defined.\u00a0 We assume we know where the other person is coming from, and we are quick to form a vicious judgment on their intent, perspective, or mindset.\u00a0 And while pockets of that certainly exist here, I have also seen that, as a community, we are often willing and able to search for common ground.\u00a0That is something to be proud of.<\/em><\/p>\n

Recently, I had the occasion to see both methods in action when I forced an issue rather than take a more consensus-building approach.\u00a0<\/strong>It was an interesting learning lesson.<\/em><\/p>\n

The hate-filled lobs came first.<\/strong>\u00a0People assumed they knew where I was coming from. They presumed to know my \u201cend game\u201d and defined me by the labels they assigned\u2026labels such as \u201dracist\u201d, \u201cxenophobe\u201d, a \u201cmember of the KKK\u201d,\u00a0and my personal favorite<\/em>, \u201ca racist piece of f\u2019in shit\u201d. And while there\u2019s not an ounce of truth to those hate-filled labels, they swirled fervidly around social media.<\/p>\n

And yet others showed up differently.<\/strong>\u00a0Many reached out in agreement that there are difficult challenges that need to be seriously considered. Conversations acknowledged that issues are layered and complicated and so are the solutions. Ideas were shared that opened my thought, that deepened\u00a0understanding, that recognized there are not simple, one-sided solutions. Some people showed up with grace, and grace breaks through the most difficult impasse.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve reflected on it, I see that it\u2019s critically important to not buy into the fevered pitch that is playing out on the National Stage, no matter which side you most identify with, because that doesn\u2019t have to be us.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0In our community, we are more than who we voted for because\u00a0that does not fully define us nor should it stop us from pulling together as neighbors, friends and members of the same community.<\/p>\n

What does it look like to choose to stand on common ground? I have seen\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n