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Move Forward Together

I write to share my perspective on the conflict related to Madison Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Eileen Banisch’s recent and controversial Facebook post. I understand that, regardless of her intention, people may have taken offense. But I am deeply concerned that our town is embroiled in a larger atmosphere of partisan animosity that serves no one.

My research and writing has focused on groups that have triumphed over adversity, and I recently wrote a piece with lessons from one such team: the Antarctic expedition of Ernest Shackleton. Trapped in the ice for almost two years, the crew overcame unbelievable hardships, but they survived. Although there were many elements to their success, I believe three of the most critical are relevant to us.

First, they maintained a sense of humor—though sometimes grim humor—even in the darkest of Antarctica winter. Second, they realized that conflict was inevitable and they recovered quickly and accepted apologies when tempers flared. Finally, they resisted the temptation to scapegoat and chose team unity over partisanship.

I realize that this is not an Antarctica expedition, but I also believe that the intense stress of the pandemic, combined with uncertainty about the future, makes the Shackleton story a helpful metaphor. My hope is that we can move forward together, and even share our rations, after a heated argument.

Dennis N. T. Perkins

Madison