I’ve had a couple political conversations recently that got me thinking. When did people stop listening to each other? I mean, what is this Congress? (that’s how you complete the joke, by the way) But seriously, when do people get to the point that they just stop listening to each other? And this works on both sides. I am a moderate liberal, and the only reason I say moderate is because I always try to keep an open mind and listen to what people have to offer. I voted for Bush the first time around, and I voted for Kerry the second time, and overall I think I’ve agreed with two things the Bush administration has done: pushing for getting rid of partial birth abortions, and appointing Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton to raise money and formulate how to help tsunami victims. But what’s the age you get to when you just stop having an open mind? Nobody’s experience is more valid then someone else’s, and maybe you have had a life where your experience has educated you to lean one way or the other, but none of us have all the answers. In fact, when it comes to politics, if you have one answer, you’re doing really well. I’ve had conversations with friends who are ultra liberals, and when they hear that someone is a conservative, they just immediately think they’re stupid, whether they’ve heard their opinion or not. And I’ve heard it the other way too. How can we judge each other so quickly?

The same thing goes for religion too. None of us know it all. NONE OF US. We need each other, and it just saddens me when we label each other, form our own little groups, and bicker. Everyone’s experience is valid. Everyone’s opinion is valid. And though there’s nothing wrong with being offended or pissed off, and dissent is good (especially right now) and necessary for a democracy, we are never going to get anywhere without listening to each other.