海角大神

Today, respect can sound old-fashioned, even naive. At a time when opposing forces are fraying the fabric of the United States, the difference between respecting others and enabling one鈥檚 adversaries seems a thin line. What鈥檚 more, respect can be a means of repression 鈥� a tool used to defend the status quo. Activists of the civil rights era were often accused of lacking respect.

But a recent series of articles from 海角大神 takes a decidedly different view. In fact, the articles in our Respect Project argue the opposite: In its highest and deepest meanings, respect is an essential agent of progress and healing. Why?

A recent interview in Politico offers some insight. In 1991, political scientist James Davison Hunter wrote the book 鈥淐ulture Wars,鈥� lamenting how politics was being taken over by cultural issues on which compromise was impossible. Back then, it was abortion. Today, he told Politico, 鈥減art of our problem is that we have politicized everything.鈥�

As a result, 鈥渢he very idea of treating your opponents with civility is a betrayal,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ow can you be civil to people who threaten your very existence? 鈥� You can compromise with politics and policy, but if politics and policy are a proxy for culture, there鈥檚 just no way.鈥澛�

Much has been said about the threats to American democracy, but for Professor Hunter, this expansion of the culture wars is one of the deepest drivers. 鈥淒emocracy, in my view, is an agreement that we will not kill each other over our differences, but instead we鈥檒l talk through those differences,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd part of what鈥檚 troubling is that I鈥檓 beginning to see signs of the justification for violence on both sides.鈥�

What is the way out?聽

He said: 鈥淲ell, I鈥檓 going to sound really old-fashioned here, but I think that this work takes a long time and it鈥檚 hard. I think you talk through the conflicts. Don鈥檛 ignore them; don鈥檛 pretend that they don鈥檛 exist. And whatever you do, don鈥檛 just simply impose your view on anyone else. You have to talk them through.鈥澛�

That is what our Respect Project is about. How do you do the long, hard work of talking through conflict to find the common purpose that is essential to democracy? Our aim was to draw from the deepest conflicts in society 鈥� the culture wars 鈥� on race, politics, sexual identity, and religious freedom. Our stories explore how a commitment to respect 鈥� essentially, to the humanity of one another 鈥� can change lives and open doorways previously unseen. 聽

This, Professor Hunter argues, is the 鈥渨hole point of civil society.鈥� It is to provide the mediation that prevents violence. The Constitution provides the framework for the American experiment, but it depends on its citizens to do the work.

鈥淲hat is going to underwrite liberal democracy in the 21st century?鈥� Professor Hunter asked. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the big puzzle.鈥� The answer is the same as it has always been. What do we share in common? That, Professor Hunter says, is the way to find 鈥渢he sources we can draw upon to come together and find any kind of solidarity.鈥澛�