The extreme polarization in this country is really starting to weigh me down. In a search for help I stumbled upon a poll that asked both Democrats and Republicans to rank their top choices for how to heal the country and strengthen our identity as Americans. The one solution that both parties supported more than any other? Better civics education.
Civics? Did they mean that boring high school class? No–they meant knowing how the government works, and how to be an effective citizen, and how to work with our neighbors regardless of party to solve problems, and how to participate in our democracy.
My civics was ridiculously rusty so I dove in and realized I loved the idea of learning more about this, especially if Democrats and Republicans, who can’t agree on whether the sun is shining, both say that “better civics” is critical. I can already feel my hopelessness shift into something more positive and proactive. I’m about ready to burst with everything I’m learning.
So….it appears my post-farming pivot might be a journey into what “better civics” could mean for all of us. When I tried to explain this to my friend Lori, she covered her ears. “Don’t talk to me about politics!”
That’s when it hit me: Civics isn’t politics; it’s bigger than politics. It transcends politics. If done right, Civics will hold us together even as politics tries to drive us apart. Civics isn’t “red” or “blue,” it’s “Red, White, and Blue.”
I hope you’ll pivot with me to find out if I’m right.
