A message on election day 11-5-24

Nov. 5, 2024

Dear Maroons,

Can we pause for a moment and think together as a community about today’s election?

First, if you are eligible and you have not yet voted, I hope you vote. You should know that your generation represents more than a third of the eligible electorate, and your collective voices wield tremendous power and influence.

Second, I urge each of you to be respectful and thoughtful in your discourse, as our liberal-arts tradition and the ELCA’s Rooted and Open call us to do. The rhetoric feels intense. We feel these things deeply.

Sociologist Arlie Hochschild, who researches the social impact of emotions, advises: “Turn your alarm system off, climb an empathy wall, and get to know people on the other side of it.” She urges us to listen to one another — not to change minds or challenge, but to understand. If you are interested, I highly recommend Hochschild’s 2020 interview with On Being’s Krista Tippett.

I’ll admit that approaching those with whom we disagree can feel scary, particularly in light of the deep emotions associated with our personal truths on political issues and even our identities. But I know we all care deeply about our relationships and our community.

In my life, I’ve experienced the value of reframing charged political conversations with some structure and a few well-placed questions:

• First, each person respectfully shares their thoughts and feelings about a matter, followed only by clarifying questions from the listener.
• Then, they take turns sharing their honest answers to these two questions:
  —“What can I understand about the position of the other?” This can be really hard, but I encourage you to try.
  —“What troubles me about my own position?” This can be even harder.
• Lastly, each person shares their takeaways from the conversation.

One honest caveat: Some people aren’t ready to have these conversations — yet. Just give them time.

Fellow Maroons, we each get to decide who we want to be in this moment. Together, we get to decide who we want to be as a community.

With hope,

Frank