Helping the Center to Hold

 










Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
        – from “The Second Coming,” by William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)
    
That pretty well sums it up, I think, having watched for some time the circus of anarchy that has been our politics. David Brooks, PBS News Hour commentator, recently wrote an opinion piece arguing that politics is the art of compromise, and that we have been moving from the political to the anti-political; from compromise to controversy; and continue to do so. He is correct, and we are moving in that direction with ever increasing speed. Politics, and its child, compromise, have become dirty words.

I believe the center is where we need to be, rather than at the shrill extremes of hate, threats, and vile attacks on the part of both left and right. The framers of our constitution knew this, and constructed it in a manner which discourages the extreme, and encourages moderate governance. If we value our constitution, we must value it's most basic aim of moderation though compromise as expressed through, yes, politics.

During the months leading to the election of the person who will guide – or misguide – our nation, I encourage to you listen with an ear directed to the center, and who will move that center through the best of our political process: that of genuine and compassionate compromise. However, you need not be limited to the grand national stage: you can practice the best of politics through compromise on your own personal stage of relationships and experience.

You can do this in your own personal interactions with your family, friends, and especially with those who might seem to be your enemy. Set your goal, not to overwhelm and destroy, but to agree where you can. and aim for the best compromise where you can not. In this way, you dodge the bullet of your own mis-aimed extremes, and achieve at best a move of the center in the direction you desire, and at worst, the best outcome for which you could hope.

In this way, personally and globally, we chain anarchy, stem the blood-dimmed tide, and help the center to hold.