Letters to the Editor, Opinion Carolyn Long for Congress
As a society, we have been spiraling down into this abyss of insanity, on both sides of the spectrum. We throw the word polarization around, but what we really mean is that we have stopped listening to each other, or caring to understand why people disagree with us. Our empathy is worn thin, and with it our ability to collaborate or influence one another.
This is how Dr. Carolyn Long stands out; in the midst of a collective conversation that has devolved into reactionary epithets and ridiculousness, hers is a voice of calm reason so relatable and clear-headed that it rises above the din with ease. She is progressive, and in this she shares the same end goals of all Democrats and Progressives, but she will tell you that she also shares the same end goals of every Libertarian and Republican. In her own words, we all want the same thing — we all love America, we all want to have enough money to take care of our family, we want to see our children live a better life than we have, and we want to retire with enough money and security to stop worrying. We disagree on the fine nuances of what must go into the equation in order to achieve that end, and Carolyn understands this.
I was bowled over when I attended her first Town Hall meeting in Camas. She looks younger than she is, and her smile is infectious. She has charm in spades, combining the charismatic personality that energizes the audience with an adept gift for candid humor born of authenticity. As she spoke about her journey, it was apparent that a small piece of her represents nearly every faction of our society; she’s the fiercely loving mother of a strong-willed teen, the wife of a Republican, a brilliant academic with a PhD, and a child of rural America, born and bred in the Pacific Northwest. She has spent her adult career enmeshed in the fine nuances that determine policy outcomes. She is known for her ability to work with difficult personalities and bring together strong differing opinions.
She’s not polarizing because she stays far away from the assumption that she is always right and that anyone who disagrees with her is therefore always wrong, or worse somehow fundamentally bad. She believes in listening to understand, and as she addressed the myriad of passion-fueled questions fired at her by a room full of frustrated voters, she brought this point home.
Too many well-intentioned progressive voices are using a failed methodology to try to realize their agenda. The obstinate all or nothing approach (the same used by many Republicans in office today as well) is simply not going to succeed, whether it feels justifiable or not. Carolyn exemplifies what it means to be an effective negotiator; she supports the progressive agenda, but also lays out the necessary incremental steps to make actual progress toward it.
