The Spirit of Cultivating the Karass

The Spirit of Cultivating the Karass — Part 1

Eighteen days ago I sent out an essay entitled “Hope & Possibility” that several of my readers found offensive.

One of my Cultivate the Karass friends — a smart, principled, values-driven Trump supporter — wrote to point out that the essay was one-sided and insulting to him. In stark contrast to my sentiments, he described events following the Nov. 3 election as deeply disturbing. And he got my full attention when he wrote: “We are nowhere closer to national healing. And if you think that is what you saw on stage [in Delaware], then your privilege blinds you, and CtK was nothing more than an exercise to cope with 4 years of a Trump presidency that never made sense to you to begin with.”

Ouch.

My friend is absolutely right that my privilege blinds me, both in ways that I’m conscious of and in ways that I’m not.

But I take exception with the idea of CtK being nothing more than a way to “cope” with the Trump presidency. No one who has participated in CtK has felt the need to hide where they stand on the political spectrum. I have long been known as somewhat left of center, and it is no secret that I struggled to understand President Trump’s appeal.

I founded CtK precisely because I believe the failure to understand the other side is at the core of the crisis in our public life. Those of who you who have been part of CtK in these past four years share that conviction — and it’s because of you that we succeed in having the kind of raw, authentic, substantive and illuminating conversations that our politics desperately needs.

I am not a Trump supporter, but thanks to conservative members of CtK I have a much greater insight into why more than 73 million Americans voted to reelect him.

My blog post two weeks ago was an honest expression of my feelings at the time. But to the extent that it failed to acknowledge the frustration and anguish of the other half of the country, it was also a betrayal of CtK’s spirit.

To the conservative friends who have devoted time, money and good faith to CtK, I sincerely apologize.

This episode has led me to reflect on what role CtK’s work, and the ideal of loyal antagonism, should play in the coming years. With power so evenly balanced in our legislatures, could the public appetite for some sort of partisan détente increase?

Right now, it feels like no one in America is interested in listening to the other side. The sheer weight of the accumulated anger and suspicion feels unmovable.

I suppose this is why my friend’s letter went to the core of me. If we are to truly contribute to our nation’s healing, then leaders like me, who espouse the need to make space for all points of view, need to listen even more intently. I clearly have a great deal more to learn about perspectives from outside the boundaries of my awareness.

This is the spirit of CtK.

My friend is a logical, reflective thinker who loves the country we share. I respect him. Agree or not, we must affirm our obligation to do more than merely coexist at this strangely difficult moment. We must find a way to actually celebrate each other, and to see each other’s humanity.

Honestly, I’m not sure how to do this in a convincing way right now.

I want to hear from you — particularly if you disliked my “Hope & Possibility” essay. Tell me how you think CtK can create a new space for the listening. And then help me make it happen.

Lori

Lori Brewer Collins

Founder: Cultivate the Karass

lori@cultivatethekarass.org