My dad is not a bad guy. We have some issues, but we have a lot of good stuff too. He was born in 1949. He’s been a Republican all his life, and he voted for Trump. He lives in a swing state.
I was born in 1974. I’m progressive. In order for my dad and i to have an effective conversation about the direction this country should go in, i realize, we need to build some common ground. We can’t be effective talking about college debt or homebuying or whatever until he has some real understanding about how it’s different today than how it was for him.
I think that the only way we’re going to bridge these divides is with education. I’m also tired, and the task feels overwhelming. It’s hard to have conversations today, because a lot of our tools for conversation have been weaponized: it’s difficult to say, even politely, that some particular statement is inaccurate, because there isn’t a common ground of understanding. “Well, my news network says your opinion is inaccurate.” We don’t have a common basis of facts – even things that are provable are called opinions so that it’s easier to discredit them.
Without some common ground, i don’t know how we move forward. But i also see that common ground isn’t going to make itself: we have to build it. So i have started writing emails to my dad, trying to talk about some things. This blog will share those emails, and resources that i find handy, in case they might be helpful for you in talking with your parents, with friends, with people in your community.
This blog is called “Explainer For Boomers” because my dad is a boomer, but honestly, it could be for anyone. If any of it is useful for you, i’m happy for you to have it.
I also welcome your comments. We’re stronger together, and you know things i don’t, so if you have ideas, i invite you to share them and we can all benefit. All comments are moderated; i have a really intense day job but i will get to them as fast as i can.
The purpose of this project is to build bridges, which requires some mutual respect. It requires a positive focus. That’s not easy – sometimes i don’t want to be positive. Sometimes it’s hard to find a point of respect. If you leave comments here, i ask that you keep them respectful and reasonably positive; those which are not will be deleted.