"One thing is clear to me: We, as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves."

― Barbara Jordan

I recently visited Boston, Massachusetts, one of the oldest areas of our country. The old colonial architecture was beautiful; I truly appreciated the opportunity to see and touch places that I had only read about in history books. As I considered our democracy, I began to ponder a thought: our democracy was born out of the desire to permit free speech, facilitate the free exchange of ideas, and the ability to engage in personal choice, but today despite all of our advances in various arenas, we seem to have gotten away from this framework as we treat one another in unkind and intolerant ways and succumb to “cancel culture.”  

Cancel culture is the idea that a person or a group of people can and should be eliminated, rendered non-factors, excommunicated from society, culture, or an “in-group” because they have done or said something with which others do not agree. The cancelation of people for having different viewpoints, or even making mistakes, has become so prevalent that even our elementary-aged children readily understand what it means for someone to be canceled.  Indeed, they often engage in the practice themselves.

I believe that cancel culture is especially damaging for our young people. Adults have the benefit of life experience and perspective.  We know that even our worst moments will pass and our worst mistakes will fade from memory. Missteps will be forgiven, and mercy will ultimately be shown. Things that seem insurmountable today will be something we will laugh at in the future. Youth unfortunately, do not have the benefit of the foresight that often comes with life experience and for them, cancelation can feel permanent and, even, fatal. For them, it's difficult to see beyond the moment, look forward to a brighter day or understand there will be joy in the morning, even if weeping endures for a night. 

We must make a collective decision to facilitate a social culture of grace, forgiveness and mutual respect.  As citizens of a democracy, we must all understand that sometimes one person’s exercise of their rights will conflict with or even offend our own. Sometimes we will not agree.  Sometimes other people’s choices will make us angry, but we should never make it our goal to dismantle another human being or break their spirit. There are many people with whom I do not agree, but I understand they are entitled to their opinions and choices, as am I. 

As we enter a season during which we will be invited to exercise one of our most important rights as Americans--the right to vote--I hope that we will remember to engage one another, especially those with whom we disagree, with respect. As we do, our own perspectives may shift as we learn about people who think and live differently than we do and we may be able to help expand perspectives of others as we share who we are.d have enough.