The Government Shutdown As An Analogy For America's Failing Families
Written by Curtis Reed, Posted on , in Section Teens & Tweens
It's no secret that politics in America have gotten so partisan that it's next to impossible to get the country's two main parties to agree to work together on any substantial policy action. What's less acknowledged is that millions of American families are facing more or less this exact same situation.
Of course there are sharp idelogical differences between the combatting parties, but ultimately, what they're engaged in now, with the government shutdown now well into its second week, is a game of brinskmanship. No one wants to give any concessions to the other side because to do so, it is feared, would contribute to a long-term erosion of perceived power. Basically, if nobody compromises, they both get to campaign on what idealistic, principled patriotic men and women they all are.
Well, from marital strife to teen boys arguing with their parents, compromise is a dying art in the American family.
Compromise has its roots in empathy, which is perhaps the key characteristic that children, parents, spouses (and, yes, probably politicians) need in order to have effective relationships. Empathy is the trait of being able to understand the feelings and experiences of another person, and how those feelings and experiences lead them to arrive at their own viewpoint.
What are the stakes when we argue? If it's an argument between a mother and a son over how the son is treating his girlfriend, perhaps its pride on the son's part, and concern over her child's manners and how they'll affect future relationships on the part of the mother. What's happening here is that the young man is ignoring his mother's wisdom, both as a person who has had many more relationships in her lifetime, and as a woman. While the mother is ignoring her son's need to establish his own identity, to have private, intimate relationships and ultimately second-guessing her son's intentions. Both parties would be better off with a little bit of understanding and communication.
It's always serious when a father finds out that his daughter is using drugs, and with good reason, because drugs can ruin lives. But if the father screams and yells without considering the problems that are leading to the drug abuse, and the daughter shuts off communication because she feels misunderstood, then we're even further away from an amicable family solution than when we started.
The Same Things That Bring Resolution to a Family Will Bring Resolution to America
As someone once said, blood is thicker than water. The things that hold us together are stronger than the things that threaten to tear us apart. Family is worth protecting, and for that reason, understanding and compromise are two key things that everyone should take the time to exercise.
If our representatives in Washington could stop playing politics for a minute and take an honest look at the reasons they were elected, what their constituents genuinely want them to do, I'm sure this shutdown would be over in no time. Because, just like a family, the ties that bond Americans together are stronger than the forces that rip us apart.
