Although women's voices have not always been in the foreground of American history, women have always been a powerful force in shaping the world. When women band together with common goals, we truly are unstoppable.
In October 2019, I was invited to participate in the “House Divided” project, sponsored by AVOW (Advancing Voices of Women) and WANE-TV.
This project brought together 12 women – four Republicans, four Democrats and four independents – with a goal of gaining new perspectives, understanding opposing opinions and ideas, and possibly finding common ground.
Publicly sharing my political views was never something I envisioned, and I immediately started thinking about everything that could go wrong.
Politics is personal and divisive; it is uncomfortable and can ruin relationships.
I am a philomath but introverted and painfully shy. I listen more than I speak and I love engaging others heart to heart, so I accepted.
At the first discussion, I felt out of place and in over my head.
I met 11 other women – college students, engineers, a physician, retirees, homemakers, etc. Each was fearless, powerful, successful and determined.
There were many ideas, and each of us listened with an open mind and hearts. The more I heard, the more I critically analyzed my own beliefs and why they were important to me.
Driving home that evening, I realized I had a narrow perspective on politics. When watching debates, I saw virtue-signaling, outrage-mongering and verbal combat that attracts viewers.
Polarized debates focus on personality and partisanship rather than policy. The narratives are distilled into a black-and-white choice of good or evil.
There has been a shift in our political culture. We are losing the art of listening.
Why share my voice? I had to find my why.
If we are silent, we forfeit our power to those willing to control the discussion. If we are silent, we are disconnected from truth. If we are silent, our great country lacks what it needs to make big decisions. If we are silent, we do ourselves, our children and our country a colossal disservice. For our elected officials to make informed decisions, we need all viewpoints.
“You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note,” says the author Steve Goodier.
To have value, political debate should be evidence-based, critically thought-out and respectful. It offers our elected officials information to make informed policy choices.
Understandably, it is challenging to make a case for tolerance.
That is what AVOW's “House Divided” is doing. Each woman values the person sitting next to her and her freedom to have opposing beliefs, values and ideas. We make room for disagreement, and we are intellectually stimulated by opposing views.
But, somehow, the 12 of us are energized by the environment, and each makes valuable contributions.
And though we may disagree on specific issues, it only adds to our cohesion. Listening to an opinion with which we disagree doesn't mean we have to accept it.
Tolerance and civility are not weaknesses. Our life experiences shape who we are and who we will become. Each woman's opinion is a product of her personal journey, and it should be heard. Though we are each strong in our own right, together we are fierce and courageous.
We need women's stories; we need to hear their voices sharing them.
Take an honest look at your morals, values, opinions and ideas; then ask yourself why you hold them.
Question your elected officials and do not blindly follow one person or one party; no candidate is perfect.
We must turn our chairs from facing each other, face America and discuss what we believe, where we disagree and where we find common ground.
We – as women – need to show that being together is far superior to being opposed. We must model integrity and civility, to our children and to our fellow Americans.
Contrary to what Aristotle believed, silence is no longer a woman's glory. The United States needs our voices.
We must stand together and ask, “Can you hear us now?”
Aimmie Jenkins is an Army veteran and case manager at The Shepherd's House.
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September 20, 2020 at 12:01PM
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