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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Carolyn F. Mattoon: Bridge the political chasm with civil activism

By Carolyn F. Mattoon For The Spokesman-Review

The 2016 election has divided families, friends and country into hostile camps of zealous devotees and opponents. We shout and brandish fists across a widening chasm. We’ve lost all capacity for civil, reasoned discussion or compromise. We insult “enemies” who are our family members, our friends and neighbors, our community. We become “unpatriotic”, and “un-American”, because of political disagreements.

Authoritarian propaganda tells us to avoid and disbelieve legitimate news sources. We limit our news sources on current events and ignore the lessons of history — if we ever bothered to learn them. Elected officials reject the art and science of governance to wall themselves off behind extremist positions. Party loyalty and ideological purity come before responsibility to country and constituency. By incessant fearmongering, the public is kept in a heightened state of alarm, susceptible to distortions and disinformation.

The primary goal of governance set out in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution – to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…” – is overridden by political ambition for personal power and enrichment. Congressional members are refusing requests to meet and talk with their constituents in town halls. Hanging on to their seats by appeasing large campaign donors and powerful party bosses has priority over legitimate concerns of constituents and rules out moderate compromise with the opposition.

The preamble’s aspirations are forgotten as lawmakers promote the interests of powerful corporations and the wealthy while ignoring the plight of the common man. The “general welfare” of the sick, the young, the old, the poor, the unemployed, the hungry, the disadvantaged, the homeless has little weight. Choosing to degrade and defund social safety nets, restrict civil rights and rescind environmental and consumer protections to relieve dubious business burdens is easy when weighing the powerless against the limitless influence of the wealthy and powerful. We’ve lost compassion and humanity. Except for the native people here before the arrival of the white man, we’re all immigrants. By deliberately instilling fear of immigrants and refugees, partisans weaponize the apprehensive “us” against the vulnerable “them”: the Muslim, Mexican, and Central American families fleeing war, crime, violence and poverty.

During the Obama administration, the tea party uprising had great success in making the voices of disaffected conservatives heard. Their methods were noted and modified for use by a growing nationwide coalition of concerned citizens in the Indivisible movement and other like-minded groups embracing civility and non-violence. In every state, citizens of “one nation, indivisible” are coming together to stage peaceful protests of ill-considered, dangerous policies that threaten the stability and well-being of our nation.

For stunned moderates wondering what’s happening to our nation – get involved. Find an existing activist group or start one; begin talking to your neighbors and work together to make a difference and ensure your voices are heard.

Citizen groups across Idaho have asked Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch to hold town halls, but they’ve hidden from constituents and failed to respond. Members of Congress have a duty to listen and learn from their constituents. We insist that they meet their representative obligations by engaging directly with us throughout Idaho.

We call on them to repair the partisan damage they’ve helped create by reaching across the aisle to craft a middle legislative path that does the most possible good for all. In spite of differences we may have, we must come together and work for the future of our country and the generations yet to come.

Carolyn F. Mattoon of Hayden is a member of North Idaho Indivisible.