Point/Counterpoint: The way forward is through democratic elections

Others assert that, in the past, Americans have always found a “way” to reconcile our differences and move forward. I would take a slightly different point of view. We have always had “a way,” all along, and that “way” is democracy with elections.”

Arthur E. Sowers, Ph.D., is a retired research professor from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.

For any issue or problem in society, there are likely to be many interpretations of the problem, as well as different, credible and worthwhile solutions to those problems. Sometimes, truth — like beauty — is in the eyes of the beholder.

Conservatives often complain about all the “venomous language” being used. In fact, both political parties are guilty of crude impoliteness against each other. Sadly, it seems as if too many politicians are biased in the belief that they, themselves, and their party, are 100% perfect beings and are 100% entitled to think that their “way” is the 100% only “way” to do anything, and the other party, and all its members, are all evil and should not even get any say in anything.

Some on the right despair that our current elected leaders and our citizens at large will not come together and mend our polarized society. For my opinion, I cite one example from the history of the divisiveness caused by the Vietnam war. The divisiveness went away by itself after (a) a president voluntarily declared he would not run for reelection and (b) this country withdrew from Vietnam. In other words, remove what is causing the divisiveness to remove the divisiveness.

Others assert that, in the past, Americans have always found a “way” to reconcile our differences and move forward. I would take a slightly different point of view. We have always had “a way,” all along, and that “way” is democracy with elections. Democracy is a game with rules. Candidates run for office and try to “sell” their “plan.” The candidates with the most votes win. Thus, we get the “greatest good for the greatest number,” and it is determined by the people (not a dictator or king). I do not have any problem with this, and the last time I looked, our country still runs this “way.”

It seems shortsighted to blame our polarized society on a failed system of education. This point of view totally ignores the insidious influence from social media networks that both kids and adults use almost all day, every day. Recently, this has been extensively studied. It leads to a wide variety of problems. Misinformation and disinformation are rampant on these networks.

The behavioral problems caused by these networks include an uptick in mental illness, depression and even suicide. We also need to pay attention to what the big corporations are doing and what their brainwashing is doing to all of us. Two other components of our social problems that are blamed undeservedly on our schools are poverty and poor home environments. So, a lot of our problems are not caused by the school systems at all.

Lastly, has everyone already forgotten — or ignored entirely — what the pandemic did? The school system did not make that virus or any other virus or disease that exists in nature anyplace in the world. Therefore, many of our social problems that get blamed on our school systems really had nothing to do with our school systems.

Another often repeated claim is that our news media — whether in print or broadcast — has somehow failed us. This claim is puzzling, to say the least. I was a kid when I started reading newspapers in the early 1950s. Today’s newspapers (at least the moderate ones), including this one, look to me just like the newspapers back then. And I am “OK” with all our usual, moderate media. But right-wing thinking has expanded in parallel with right-wing media, too. What I see, “out there,” are two media: moderate and right wing.

Another area of heated disagreement between the two sides in our country is a fear on the right that candidates running for election to local school boards will fail to correct the course in our secondary educational system. Those on the right often ask, “Who will stop the craziness prevailing in our schools?” What really seems to be happening, in many other parts of the country, is a carefully orchestrated, well-organized and funded effort to promote a right-wing agenda, which is also an agenda to establish “forbidden topics,” promote right-wing political correctness and ban certain books.

This effort on such a local level ultimately results from conservatives fearing that Republicans will not insist on changes to undermine or otherwise stop the perceived push by Democrats in favor of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Let us all admit that throughout history there have always been changes, and I am not surprised that while some people are happy about them, other people are not. But knowing history, as I do, I am optimistic that we not only see our way through this period but continue to thrive