Joe Doe doesn’t want you to change your mind, you just have to open it.
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TASK #24 Hell No!
Men and nations behave rationally once they have exhausted all the other alternatives. Abba Eban
As men, we have strong points of views. We adopt intense, often rigid opinions on almost any subject under the sun. We can argue about sports, food, sex, money, cars, liquor, movies and politics. We all agree that a thong peeking out of a cute girl’s jeans is cool, but that’s about all we agree on.
I’ve learned, however, that while it’s an important part of our personality to have a strong point of view, it’s important to make room for the other side of the argument.
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I’ve learned, however, that while it’s an important part of our personality to have a strong point of view, it’s important to make room for the other side of the argument. No matter how much you disagree with someone–especially when he’s a Republican and you’re a Democrat or vice versa, or you’re from LA and he’s from NY, or you went to Ohio State and he went to that school up north–you’ve got to hear the other side of the argument.
TASK:
Write down an issue that pisses you off. And WHY it pisses you off. Example: You have a gun or several guns. You like guns. You like owning guns, and you don’t want any bleeding heart liberal saying that you’re a redneck chaw-chewin’ hillbilly because you like guns.
But you have to hear the other side. So drive to a Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence Meeting. And you listen. Then you go home and get out your notebook and you write down what they said and what you do and do not agree with.
Or
You, mister liberal who hates guns, you have to suck it up, go to an NRA meeting and listen up. You be respectful. Then go home and write down what you learned.
You don’t have to change your mind, you just have to open it.
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It’s doesn’t have to be guns, it can be climate change, or CORE, or abortion, or any other hot-button issue that you think you’re right about…
You don’t have to change your mind, you just have to open it.
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Photos by Joe Doe and Pargon