Justice Ginsburg Pens a Moving Tribute to Justice Scalia

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The intensity of the political noise caused by the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia reminds us of the Spinal Tap amplifiers turned up to “11”. Painful to the ears. But amid that noise is the outpouring of respect and admiration from a host of people representing all bands of the political spectrum. To us no tribute to Scalia was as noteworthy as that paid to him by his SCOTUS colleague and ideological adversary, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

In any debate, bringing light, not heat requires a willingness to listen to and respect the views of those who one might vehemently disagree with. In a relationship similar to but even deeper than that of Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neil Justices Ginsburg and Scalia not only respected and listened to each other but they were able to build a strong friendship that both clearly treasured. In this 2016 election year, they serve as a reminder that we can expect better not only from our leaders but also from ourselves in how we go about debating issues both public and personal.

Enemies or Friends?

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As the election season kicks into high gear the overall tone is swinging even further into the attack zone. While unfortunate, that is natural in an election when candidates’ strategies are all about differentiation. However, those not up for election – and that includes most of us – don’t have to get caught up in the rancorous atmosphere that the competition for votes leaves in its wake.

This recent piece by Rich Karlgaard in Forbes takes a frank look at finding common ground at a personal, day-to-day level. It demonstrates what we believe to be fundamentally true – that we can find common ground on issues of national importance without compromising fundamental principles. The key is to resist the desire for a win-lose (where you win and the person who disagrees with you loses) and seek instead the points of agreement which is a win-win both in moving forward on an issue and in building and maintaining a good relationship that can facilitate future progress. It actually isn’t that difficult to do.

Read the Forbes article here.