Responsibility for communicating is a two way street, I think

Most of us have experience with the subject. It may be our siblings, our spouses, our families, our politics, our nation, our tribe, and even our religion. But most of us have experience in the communication process in one or more of the preceding.

Recently the communications gap between parts of the world seems appalling, to me.

It appears people are often talking past each other. This problem is as old as history, but terrible things can come out of this problem.

The confusion around whether it’s nature is religions, cultures, nations, tribes, local vs. international causes, or just despots and megalomaniacs is made worse by inflaming media reporting. To me it is all of the above. I can pick any confusing issue, and really get wound up.

For me, it’s personality dependent.

For example, when it is reported that some low level Muslim cleric or citizen tells the Pope to convert and die, I get really wound up. But should I? And I am not Catholic.

“Should I” means like going to a shooting war with all its terrible consequences. But then I calm down some when I think about communications.

I have busted my tail to think like the other side on the Islam stuff in the forefront today. I am not Muslim, but I used to be in the Marines, so I know how important it is to know the other side, respect his values, and seek ways to help him help me. If that doesn’t work, then we kill him. It hardly gets to the last point, since we all know we will leave and come back home to the USA, and he will still be there with his family.

Much of the recent media reporting and many other resources that focus on the other side I have inhaled. History, culture, values, religions, tribes, nation states, political systems, and economics have all been consumed by my homework.

It is especially important for me to realize, and state to the readers, that many issues and conflicts and frictions are at play. One size does not fit all.

So where am I today?

The subject says it all. Communications is a two way street, I think.

Where is the effort on the other side to listen to us, know our values, our intents, our bottom line determination to protect our families and defend our way of life?…and to state all this for later media reporting. Are there leaders on the other side who do their “inhaling”?

I answer my question as follows: The effort is there by those on the other side who believe and understand that communications is a two way street. We don’t have to agree with them necessarily, but edicts and non-negotiable demands are a non-starter. That all this is not well media reported is obvious.

So, as I believe, that communications is a two way street, then it is time to hear more discussion from the other side.

The other side I think of are not the fascist, racist, megalomaniac, criminal religious types, but the regular people like you and me.

Somebody, please step up to the plate…in western terms.