Listen
About twenty-five years ago, ten years before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court approved same sex marriage, a group that looks very much like the current Family Diversity Projects (FDP) was encouraging Massachusetts schools to display some family photographs. The displays, the the FDP’s displays were called Love Makes a Family. The not legally married spouses in these large-scale photographs were of the same sex.
The organization had a community education component. Hold a community forum. Have some of the people whose photographs were in the display discuss the issue of same sex marriage. Answer questions. Encourage a new vision of marriage.
One of our teachers asked the principal of her school, who then asked me (I was superintendent). We both asked the school board (organized like many northern New England school districts – each small town with its own board or committee and its own elementary school) if we could put on that display. We asked at the very end of a school board meeting. Only the school board, the principal, and I remained at the meeting. The school board agreed.
We were cautious. Displaying the photo exhibit had led to great controversy in a larger neighboring town. Even though it was a liberal college town, many people objected to the photo displays. The controversy was not pretty.
We attracted a little attention. I got a letter from Jay Sekulow, now a legal advisor to Donald Trump, then a Director for the American Center for Law and Justice with the almost familiar initials – ACLJ. He told us to stop; there could be adverse consequences if we went ahead with the display.
We were cautious. The principal met with pastors.
This small town was well known for being liberal. In Democratic primaries, the most liberal candidate usually got the most votes. In general elections, Democrats won overwhelmingly.
Not everyone in town would welcome the display. This was a small town with a lot of churches. One describes itself as evangelical. That church was and still is a regional religious and intellectual center for its views.
The principal met with pastors. He told them we would be exhibiting the photos. We had not yet made announcements. How can we do this to avoid being more objectionable to you than necessary, he asked? We valued their opinion. Jay Sekulow, not so much. I never told anyone about Sekulow’s letter.
We displayed the photographs in an out of the way space. Not in a hallway that children would routinely walk past. We used the display for instruction. Parents could have their children opt out. Children went from class in small groups to see the display, to take notes, to prepare for small group discussions, for possible writing assignments. Children whose parents opted out were less noticeable than if the entire class had gone together, leaving a few behind. We declined the community forum.
The photo exhibit happened. Children from that school contemplated the idea of families with two fathers or two mothers. We had no controversy. We taught our kids.
Amazon.
Amazon withdrew its commitment to establish part of its East Coast Headquarters in New York, in Long Island City.
It had been amazing. The governor of New York and the Mayor of New York City, who do not agree on anything, who do not work together on anything, had worked together to bring Amazon to New York. They would bring 25,000 new jobs. By the time the ripple effect rippled, there could be 100,000 new jobs. The plan failed.
The governor blames activists, left wingers, people who hate big corporations. They fought Amazon because it is a huge corporation. They fought its president, Jeff Bezos, who may be the richest man in the world. They drove Amazon and Bezos away.
The mayor blames Amazon. They didn’t fight back. They didn’t fight to stay. Their commitment to New York was tepid.
Blame the governor and the mayor. How many people were surprised by the announcement? The governor and the mayor responded to Amazon’s insistence on secrecy with secrecy. The governor and the mayor had decided to use an alternate, state level approval process for the project. It was not uncommon. Other large projects had been approved in that way.
Was there any quiet discussion ahead of time? Before the announcement?
Who did the Governor meet with ahead of time? Who did the Mayor meet with ahead of time? Who did they tell that Amazon was coming. They could have said was probably coming? Who did they tell they were going to use the alternative approval process? Who did they offer to listen to? They might have asked – what is crucial from your perspective? Some of the people they might have talked to — Members of Congress, State legislators, Members of the City Council, the Borough President, leaders of local organizations.
What can we do, they might have asked, to make sure this works? Instead, they waited for applause.
Old fashioned politics. You talk to key people and listen to them. Consider their interests. Achieve your goals and theirs. People in small towns know how to do that. Losing Amazon was a big loss.
Keeping Amazon’s secret a secret was counterproductive. The mayor of the largest city in the country seemed afraid to push the envelope. The governor of the fourth largest state in the country seemed afraid to push the envelope. They did not prepare their constituents.
Has old fashioned politics disappeared? We shout at each other. Democrats fight Republicans. Democrats fight Democrats. Republicans acquiesce to a dangerous President. Fear predominates. Listening does not.
Let’s watch the Democratic presidential candidates. Can these candidates listen? Can they make it to 2020 without shouting at each other? Can they figure out common goals and achieve them?