Over these past few weeks, I have sensed a growing anger of discontent within our communities, whether the concerns are about the BP oil spill, the lack of jobs in this economy, or the feelings of frustration with those in government.
One hears and sees this growing discontent on online comment boards and in the news, and it is so often manifested through the use of harsh rhetoric and language.
This anger is leading to a growing sense of skepticism and disillusionment about the status of things.
About a week ago, Congress extended emergency unemployment benefits after they had expired. What would have been a routine approval in the past was delayed by partisan disagreements. There was a lot of anger on both sides; on one side from those whose benefits had run out, and on the other from those accusing the benefit recipients of being lazy and hurting the long-term future of the country.
For me this issue hits close to home as my father, 63, lost his job in January. He was fired from his job and given the excuse that they wanted to restructure.
He applied for unemployment on January 13, 2010 and his unemployment benefits in Florida ran out on June 22.
Every day he goes out and searches for work but he faces the daunting challenging of a 12 to 13 percent unemployment rate in south Florida and the added barriers of his age and lack of computer skills. Fortunately he receives his Social Security check which helps to pay the rent, but he relied on the unemployment check to help with the rest of the expenses. My mother does not work because of her multiple sclerosis and fortunately receives some aid in food stamps. My sister and I do the best that we can to help amid the circumstances but it is hard.
My father and the many individuals like him feel powerless as they wait for leaders in Washington to make a decision. They hear all of these people in the news, on the radio and online talking about the ills of unemployment benefits without truly understanding the valuable lifeline that it can provide.
I use this personal anecdote as an example of how our anger and partisanship is clouding our sense of judgment and openness.
Take for another example the recent skirmish between the NAACP and the Tea Party movement. At its National Convention, the NAACP passed a resolution condemning the Tea Party movement for acts of racism. The Tea Party fired back claiming that it was not racist. Within a few days, we saw the issue of
Shirley Sherrod’s firing and how a video snippet could be taken out of context and used to create anger and discord. Rather than a careful review and analysis the situation, everyone rushed to judgment without listening to one another.
It is not the first time anger has come in the way of jwustice and common sense, and it is something that has been stirring for some time.
For example, we also see a growing lack of dialogue between Democrats and Republicans, and when dialogue does happen, it is only by a handful that dare participate or even risk the ire of their supporters.
I fear that this growing discontent and inability to discuss controversial issues in an effective way will only continue to cloud our judgment and discourage our success as a community. There is certainly a difference between being passionate about a cause and a being uncivil in engaging with those who hold different opinions.
I look to these next few months before the November elections as a test for how we as a country can manage this anger. Will this anger manifest itself in a complete sweeping out of the status quo? Will this bring in new voices and new perspectives? Will this anger just perpetuate itself?
As part of the Tech community, we are not immune from this political anger and climate of incivility. As we jump into the new school year, we need to understand the current anger and how it will impact the students, the faculty and staff.
We can’t avoid these feelings of anger and frustration, but we can provide valuable tools to help channel these feelings into something more positive and constructive.