How I’m leaving political divisiveness behind as I celebrate America at 250

Seth Shteir

Submitted photo/Seth Shteir

Bring your curiosity and leave the preconceptions behind. Being curious is an essential part of both American democracy and democratic discourse. It’s the perfect antidote to stereotypes and bias.”

OPINION — For some, America’s 250th birthday is a chance to show their patriotism, a testament to our Founding Fathers’ wisdom, the Constitution and a democratic experiment that has persevered for more than 2 1/2 centuries. Others see it as a reckoning of unmet promises, broken covenants and one more attempt to obscure our nation’s dark history of genocide, oppression and racism.

I would encourage celebrating the nation’s semi-quincentennial by cultivating the art of being curious. While there are many who want to link the nation’s birthday with partisan messaging and ideological concepts such as American Exceptionalism or the premise that our nation has fundamentally failed to fulfill its fundamental principles, I recommend that Americans explore what the nation means to them in a personal and humanistic manner.

Why not make it a point to explore a different part of America and chat with somebody with a vastly different background, world view and values?

Head out on the highway and buy an ice cream at a small-town general store or get a bottomless cup of Joe as the clock strikes midnight in an all-night city diner. Put your truck in four-wheel drive and take the bumpy track up to that pristine mountain lake you’ve always wanted to fish. Wander through a historic site that brings tears to your eyes or an Ancestral Puebloan ruin that makes you think deeply about those who came before us. Walk, bike or drive to a part of your city or town you've never seen.

Bring your curiosity and leave the preconceptions behind. Being curious is an essential part of both American democracy and democratic discourse. It’s the perfect antidote to stereotypes and bias.

Too many political or social conversations I’ve witnessed over the past decade have had the same predictable course. Within three sentences of the participants realizing they don’t agree, they either disengage completely, try to brand each other or get into a furious argument. I’d recommend taking a deep breath and asking some well-considered questions.

Don’t just talk with a new acquaintance about their political views. Get to know them as a whole person: their dreams and hobbies, families, where they live, pets, what they do for a living. Imagine if when we talked to people, instead of being offended by an idea and trying to oppose it, brand it or diminish it, we approached that idea with a sense of curiosity and the intent to learn? What if we didn’t judge others quickly or feel defensive about our values, but rather approached democratic discourse with a genuine desire to learn about how somebody different sees the world. 

Today, both sides of the aisle are in a pitched battle to brand what America and Americans are or aren’t these days. We are bombarded relentlessly by the media, politicians, influencers and universities with political messages that range from claiming America is a traditional Christian nation that should lionize its Founding Fathers to viewing the entirety of the nation’s history as an unbroken chain of oppression.

I’m not evaluating, affirming or opposing these messages, nor the messengers. I’m saying that there are meaningful personal, humanistic and individual ways to explore our diverse country besides trying to shoehorn a 340-million-person nation with an incredibly complex demography, history, geography and economy into unifying themes or ideologies.  

Let’s hit the American reset button and further the democratic experiment in a personal and humanistic way. Here’s my suggested Rx — set the news aside and leave social media behind for a bit to explore a slice of American life you’ve never experienced. It goes without saying that as we interact with new people we should be humble and act with consideration, respect and genuine kindness. We should recognize, too, that some people may not want to chat or might not be comfortable discussing certain topics.

So, celebrate America at 250 by being curious. Get to know a new part of the country, meet somebody new and find out what makes them tick. The perfect way to celebrate democracy is to engage other Americans by leaving the political divisiveness behind and practicing the art of curiosity!

Seth Shteir is a natural resource specialist, fly fisherman and bird-watcher who has explored the American West, including Arizona, for more than 40 years. He lives with his cat, Erik, in the Southern California mountains. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.