Was New York Times columnist Tish Warren clairvoyant when she called for small acts of kindness as a remedy to national divisions? A little less than two weeks before the Nov. 4th elections, she counseled readers to cultivate “cultural habits that allow us to share in our common humanity.” Such “daily practices” – even “seemingly pointless conversations” – could “rebuild social trust.”
Warren didn’t explicitly talk about the role voting can play in promoting societal unity (even though the results of the Virginia gubernatorial election might prompt her to reconsider). Yet she did, however, concede that her father taught her how politics – and the casting of ballots that accompanied it as part of civic duty – could foster a degree of “cordiality and civil trust.” As it turns out, choosing between candidates in an official election may generate even more harmony than Warren imagines.
Read Full Article »