Exchange ideas not slurs this election season

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” — President George Washington in his farewell address.

If you haven’t already noticed, election season is well underway in Wisconsin. There are many who would, legitimately, argue that it has never really stopped.

Political signs are popping up like dandelions in people’s yards and along highways. Political parties are holding pep-rally type events to energize their bases and get organized for the long march to the August partisan primary election and November general election.

Elections are good things. Elections are the ultimate representation of democracy at work. They are the opportunity for the people to influence policy and direct the course of their region, state and nation. Political parties, at their best, are ways for like-minded individuals to work together to achieve common positive goals.

The challenge, as great now as it was in Washington’s time, is that there are those who would subvert parties to serve their own ends rather than seek benefit for the common good and that there is the growing risk of people putting party identity above the shared bonds of citizenship and even humanity.

This can be seen in political slogans and signs that speak in absolutes stating where people can be one thing or another.

There are very issues where there black and white answers. This is especially true when you look beyond the stump speeches into the details and the impacts of policies and actions.

The risk of absolutes is that they feed into an ultimately dehumanizing “Us” versus “Them” way of thinking. From there, it is an increasing steep and slippery slope, to slip into viewing a political rival as being less than yourself and beyond that stripping away any sense of their fundamental humanity.

History is littered with the corpses of those whose only crime was being seen as less than human to their political rivals.

Candidates for state and county offices are currently busy circulating their nomination papers and kickstarting their campaign efforts. They are planning out a busy summer of parades, community festivals and campaign stops to get out their message and their ideas.

Democracy belongs to all of us and it is up to all of us to listen to the messages of the parties and candidates and make informed choices while at the same time remaining watchful for the dangers of dehumanizing those with whom we disagree.

Elections should be about exchanging ideas and not about slinging slurs.

The Central Wisconsin Publications Editorial Board consists of publisher Kris O’Leary and editor Brian Wilson.