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It’s a Skill

Now that the results of the fiercely contested election to the Guilford Board of Education are known, I hope that the winners will be modest in victory and the losers will graciously accept defeat. (This is being written before the vote and I have no idea which side will win.) In the months to come we will all have to live together as neighbors and friends in this fine town. Hopefully, we will wish each other well.

Sadly, both sides in the recent campaign have been called extremists and objectified by their opponents. This will make it more difficult to move forward in a constructive, thoughtful, and generous spirit. Flinging mud in national politics has long been part of our messy yet essential democratic system. Saying mean things about the folks next door can have destructive consequences. I’m a relative newcomer to Guilford who had good fortune to be able to move to a great community. Let’s keep it that way.

I have friends who are conservatives and see the world very differently than I do. I attend a church where at least several fellow congregants sit on the opposite political aisle from me. But they are caring, kind, and hard-working people with families and friends that they love and show up for. It’s very easy to sneer and shake our heads at those we sharply disagree with. As a poor listener, I know it can be hard to hear their viewpoints. But it’s a skill that highly opinionated souls like myself would do well to work on.

Richard Davies

Guilford