Writer and self-described “flaming moderate” Danny Heitman suggests: “Once a week – or once a day, if you can – consult a political commentator with whom you might disagree.” He shares that, for him, “seeking out the devil’s advocates in politics has been a great deal of fun, not to mention enlightening.”
Heitman credits William F. Buckley, Jr. “who reigned supreme as the godfather of American conservatism,” with inspiring him to take up the habit:
The late Buckley...routinely invited liberals on his public affairs show and cheerfully gave them the floor. What Buckley seemed to say, without quite saying it, is that he was confident enough in his own views to allow others to question them.
...Buckley’s example suggested that citizens of sound conviction had nothing to fear from civil debate. His magnanimity gave me the courage to throw a wide net in exploring my own beliefs, without fear of meeting minds that might be sharply different from mine.
But he notes most Americans’ reluctance to do the same:
Chalk that up to a media culture in which, increasingly, people are simply following web sites, periodicals, cable channels, or radio shows that affirm what they already believe. Which is why, I suppose, I have red-state friends who cannot believe anyone would vote for Barack Obama, and blue-state friends who’ve never had a serious discussion with a Republican. That can’t be a good thing as Americans go to the polls next year to elect a president.
Heitman offers “three pretty good reasons for listening to the other side” from John Stuart Mill, the 19th century political philosopher:
If you seriously consult an opposing viewpoint and find it’s still in error, you have the satisfaction of knowing that your views have been challenged and survived. If, on the other hand, you determine that someone else is right or partly right, you have the equal satisfaction of correcting your opinions and feeling smarter for it. There’s a third satisfaction, too, in the possibility that after considering opposing voices, you might be able to correct them.
Danny Heitman, a columnist for The Baton Rouge Advocate, is the author of “A Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House.”
