The Political Battlefield

It is becoming ever clearer that the average person cannot stay completely out of the political sphere for very long. In our new world of “Constant Connection,” the voices that — before the 1990’s — were only heard in political rally’s, newspaper editorial pages, or evening news programs have now found a place in the palm of our hands.

Sadly, although many of us try harder than ever to silence…if just for a short time…the hum of political debate, it is always within ear shot.

Additionally, this increased exposure to politics often evokes strong emotions. While we enjoy our growing technological prowess as a culture, we have to deal with the ever-increasing prevalence of political hostility. As a result, it is nearly impossible to successfully escape the white noise generated by our politics in action.

Politics Is Everywhere

It is in our Football games. It is in our Movies. It is even in our advertisements.

Politics has invaded every aspect of our lives.

I don’t know about you, but it is overwhelming at times. No matter what side of the “aisle” you currently sit…I am positive you’ve wondered why political commentary has crept into so many areas of your life. And under this constant bombardment, there is no easy way to stay out of the fray. It is beginning to feel like we are under a constant assault.

We appear to be at war.

Yet, I am not advocating we cut ourselves off completely from political debate.

In fact, it is quite the opposite! I think we should dive right in… but not without a little preparation first.

1. Always Seek the Truth

We are at war only to the extent that the Truth is at war.

At some point in life we are all tempted to ask that famous — or perhaps infamous — question posed by Pontius Pilate on that first Good Friday — “Quid Est Veritas?” or in good ole English — “What is Truth?”

That is a foundational question that many in our society answer incorrectly.

For a deeper discussion on this topic check out the previous article: Fact or Opinion — Which is the Truth?

By definition, Truth is the actual state of a matter or a verified or indisputable fact.

Before we can even hope to survive our first engagement on the political battlefield, we have to know the Truth of things. However, to do so will take much investigation, study, and reflection.

For example, Generals and any future leaders of the United States military are encouraged to take part in completing “The U.S. Army Chief of Staff’s Professional Reading List.” The books chosen for this list are intended to teach the in-and-outs of strategic combat, economics, history, international affairs, leadership, and combat skills. As a result of this intense study, future Military leaders greatly improve their minds through exposure to a vast array of topics, while also enhancing their critical thinking skills. Altogether, this intense study will eventually serve to benefit them once they arrive on the field of battle.

Rule 1: Seek the Truth and remain objective.

2. Resist Political Noise

Once we start searching for Truth, we must also drown out the distractions in our lives. This means focusing our energy on blocking out the political noise all around us. In doing so, we remove ourselves from the world of opinion and can concentrate more fully on creating a space (physically or theoretically) in which we can study the Truth of things.

If we fail to do this, we risk succumbing to the biases and secret motives of the people around us. Take this list of articles and videos posted by sites that portray themselves as “Anti-political” or at the very least have yet (as of the writing of this article) to make any mention of a political position in their Bios.

• Eater — “Yes, Chick-fil-A’s Foundation Still Donates to Anti-LGBTQ Causes”
• CNET — “Not all Texans want a border wall”
• Kotaku — “The Division 2 Is Political, Despite What Its Developers Say”

Similar to these examples, there are people you may see on a daily basis that always want to provide their “two-cents” on every issue imaginable.

Unfortunately, this is dangerous when you are hunting for the Truth. Their assertions and opinions — oftentimes formed with little to no research — have a strong chance of being skewed by their personal beliefs, rather than what the facts might actually be.

As a result, it is wise to never take someone on their word alone or believe someone outright on a subject you may know little about.

In God we trust, all others we verify!

Similar to those in the armed forces, we, too, have a responsibility to strengthen our minds on the political topics that are important to us. By doing so, we can rest assured that what we say is not only True, but can also be backed up through objective facts, proven science, and statistics.

Always seeking out the Truth on our own, far away from the persuasion and opinions of others, is how we will be able to survive the dangers of our current political war.

Rule 2: Tune out the noise and learn on your own.

3. “Speak Softly and Carry A Big Stick”

Finally, before entering the crazy world of American Politics, we must internalize a maxim from President Theodore Roosevelt , “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

Although originally referring to his philosophy for successful diplomacy, this phrase contains two incredibly important ideas that will serve us well in our quest.

The first, “speaking softly,” means just that; never raise your voice or let your emotions get away from you. Keeping “cool” under pressure is how you truly get your point across in any debate.

The second idea is to “carry a big stick,” which should not be taken literally. Instead, this means that you should always come well prepared with facts and information — not just speculative opinion or empty assertions.

Understanding this maxim is imperative when going on the offensive in any political debate.

Having studied the objective facts, proven science, and statistics, you should be well on your way to holding your own. As a result, the last thing to focus on is always remaining composed when arguing for the Truth. This is a critical skill that all must acquire.

Internalizing Roosevelt’s phrase is essential for anyone looking to engage in political debate, whether at home, around the city, or at the worst place of all, the office. Being able to keep yourself calm, collected, and armed with facts will enable you to win the debates you take part in.

Politics may bring out strong emotions, but debates should never be based on them.

Facts and Truth are what we’re after.

Rule 3: Don’t back down from the Truth, and never lose your composure.

“No one in the world can change truth. What we can do and should do is to seek truth and to serve it when we have found it.”

Saint Maximilian Kolbe

The Takeaway

All in all, the political battlefield is filled with those who have not really studied the subjects on which they preach and often are those who cannot control themselves when challenged. As a result, they sometimes lash out verbally — and at times physically — making this war occasionally dangerous. Only by following the guidelines listed above can you hope to make an impact.

I won’t be foolish and say that everything will be solved quickly or easily, but I can confidently say that if more people learned about what they were fighting for and remained calm when fighting for it… our political landscape wouldn’t be as messy or as noisy as it is today.

Who knows, with time and patience, maybe politics will once again embrace intellectual debate rather than the hate-filled war of words we see today.

…. One can only hope.

Originally published at https://freedomsreach.com on April 8, 2019.