Constructive debate in a healthy democracy requires widespread agreement on at least a core set of values as well as mutual acceptance of objective facts. Both are in short supply in America today. One would struggle to identify a single important fundamental value, much less a set of values, that is widely shared among our current hyper-partisan, hyper-polarized political factions.
It’s often just as hard to find general acceptance of objective facts and obvious conclusions flowing from them. Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s once-famous admonition that everyone is entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts seems like a relic from a bygone era.
Consider the recent Quinnipiac poll of registered voters on the tragic killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. Most respondents of all political persuasions had seen videos of the incident.[1]Specifically, 74% of Republicans, 82% of Democrats, and 79% of independents. However, their responses differed drastically on whether the shooting was justified and whether the Trump administration’s account of the incident was honest.
On the question of whether the shooting was justified, a majority of Republicans said yes (55 to 20% with 25% undecided). An overwhelming majority of Democrats said no (94 to 2%) as did a most independents (66 to 14%). There was a similar disparity on the question of whether the Trump administration’s account was honest. Most Republicans said yes (60 to 19%) while almost all Democrats (93 to 2%) and most independents (65 to 20%) said no.[2]One area of agreement was that the Pretti shooting should be subject to an independent investigation, but there were major disparities here too: Republicans 56 to 36% yes, Democrats 96 to 3%, and … Continue reading
Some suggest that the Pretti shooting and other politically controversial incidents resemble “political Rorschach tests.” But Rorschach ink blots are designed to be ambiguous with no right or wrong answers. There is little if any ambiguity in the available evidence regarding the Pretti shooting, particularly the videos.
One can certainly reject the claim by some that Pretti’s shooting constituted an intentional “execution” or “murder.” Perhaps one could even argue that the agents who shot Pretti acted lawfully based on their perceptions since legal standards heavily favor law enforcement officers in such situations. But how could anyone who viewed the videos genuinely believe that the shooting was in fact justified or that the administration’s account was honest? Even key administration officials have backtracked from their initial claims.
Clearly, this is a case of willful blindness or knowing disregard of the facts by Republican respondents. There are countless other examples, some equally stark, where one political faction or the other ignores or denies the obvious. Donald Trump has no equal at this, but Democrats also engage in it. (See, for example, many tenets of wokeism.)
Constructive engagement and rational, good faith debate between political factions are almost wholly lacking now, leaving us with only hostility between the parties and polarized, dysfunctional government. If our democracy is to somehow right itself both sides must accept that objective facts exist and matter in our public discourse, and start acting accordingly.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | Specifically, 74% of Republicans, 82% of Democrats, and 79% of independents. |
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| ↑2 | One area of agreement was that the Pretti shooting should be subject to an independent investigation, but there were major disparities here too: Republicans 56 to 36% yes, Democrats 96 to 3%, and independents 85 to 12%. |