Fire and Flood
Fire and Flood is a concept created by my friend Ryan Lloyd.
After one of our irregular yet considerate and calm debates on some political topic or another, Ryan told me that he could understand many of my points, he did not necessarily agree, but he understood them. I felt likewise.
Upon further rumination he suggested that American political discourse is much like two people who have met in a valley facing each other.
One of them sees a fire devouring the landscape behind the other and tries to warn of the impending doom it will bring.
The other person is, at the same time, transfixed by a ruinous flood rising behind the person in front of them and is likewise justifiably animated in their attempts to share all their associated concerns.
But... They talk past each other, becoming more and more animated as their foolish companion continues to be blithely oblivious to the very real danger they are being warned of.
That is our country. We have gathered the causes we cherish, the facts that support them, and we plant flags that we wave against all other views. Often, we rage at those with views that appear to be opposing to ours, and this leads to more divisions and, sadly, less solutions.
Fire and Flood is a place for people on different sides of issues to explain themselves and help others understand why they hold the views they do. It is also a place for those who are otherwise in opposition of these views to take a moment to learn the derivation of them.
It is our hope that with context understanding and civility our various warring factions can take a few steps back and address our various national challenges with new eyes, fresh insights and cooperation.
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