In his inaugural address in January 1961, at the height of the Cold War, President John F. Kennedy said: civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity must always be proven.
Mr. Kennedy proclaimed that it is possible to debate one’s adversaries with passion, but the ultimate goal should never be to destroy them.
The question of mutual tolerance and, beyond, the concept of convergence of ideas and vision, is at the center of humanism. In his 1995 lecture, The Conditions of Dialogue, held at the Moscow Academy of Sciences, Silo explains how dialogue is a decisive factor in human construction. Human dialogue is not reduced to the rigors of logic, linguistics or freedom of speech. He explains how dialogue is something alive in which the exchange of ideas, visions, feelings and experiences is tinged with the irrationality of existence.
At the base of dialogue and convergence we find human activities and the possibility for human consciousness to amplified. Where dialogue and convergence doesn’t exist or is denied we find violence, the destruction of consciousness and of human life.
Human dialogue is possible though language, which expresses itself through fears, ideas, hopes, hatreds and aspirations.
In the human being intentionality expresses itself in different forms, science, technology, art, politic and language. Sylvia Swinden explain that through language we can glimpse the point of view of other people. Language is used to convince, persuade and theaten altering the point of view of the others. Language can be an instrument of violence or of developmenent. The human intention guides the language in one or other directions.
Language, like any other human activity develop in the context of the direction of the human intentionality in a specific moment. Today we live in societies where the central value is place into money, god or an ideology. The human being as a central value is denial, then we find fear and violence. Most of the time in fear and violence the human intentionality is driven by mechanical forces which in turns mobilize the system of tension of the individual. In fact, it’s the activities of self-preservention that mobilizes the system of vital tensions in a direction to protect the psychophysical structure of the individual from the approaching threat.
The killing of Mr. Kirk provoke many republicans and their supportors to think that they could use violence before the other use violence again, it is a mechanical response.
But others took this opportunity, this crisis to redirect their own intention in a constructive direction and open dialogue and exchange in human landscapes with the others.
Last week, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Republican, on the announcement of Charlie Kirk’s death, emphasized on the need to remain calm and posed a fundamental question:
Is this the end of a dark chapter in our history, or the beginning of an even darker one? He also condemned what he called the cancer of social media, where many young people get their news.
This is not good for us, it is not good for us to consume, he said. I would encourage people to log off. Turn off. Touch grass. Hug a family member. Go out and do good in your community.”
Governor Cox, a Republican conservative believes in human dialogue and in human touch. He believes in bipartisanship and democratic balance.
Always forgive your enemies, because nothing annoys them like that, Cox recalled the lesson he learned from Charlie Kirk during his annoncement.
The Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, sided with Governor Cox and contacted him immediately after the events. This shows the best sides of humanity in times of crisis where unity can eclipse political differences.
David Axelrod, a former strategist for Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, also praised Cox.
Such respect for @GovCox for the heartfelt, thoughtful plea he just delivered to our frightened American community,” Axelrod said on X.
We can continue to barrel down this path of increasing violence, or choose a better path and resist the siren song of hate and division, Axelrod said on X..
In many ways, the fatal shooting at Utah Valley University has proven to be the ultimate test of many Republicans, Those who valued working together and open a dialogue even in disagreement without seeing political opponents as enemies to destroy but opportunities to built human landscapes to set the path of the future generation.
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Source: The Independant, National Press Club
Earlier in September, Governor Cox and Governor Wes join their voices at the National Press Club NPC Luncheon and talk about civility and dialogue in moments political polarization.
Sylvia Swinden, From Monkey Sapiens to Homo Intentional – the phenomenology of the nonviolent revolution, Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd, Great Britain, 2006.
