A Practical View of Opposition

     The other day I found myself in a very unique position.  This happens a lot to me, so I guess it barely seems unique anymore, but it doesn't change the fact that it still is to most people.  I was at work trying to mind my own business when the person across from me began talking.  Sounds pretty normal at first, doesn't it?  After all, this happens to anybody and everybody every day, right?
     This person began to talk about politics, a subject that I and most others try to avoid.  Unfortunately, I was stuck at my job station and lack the ability to walk away.  I suppose I could tell this particular individual that I was not interested in hearing what he had to say, especially since he seemed a fairly stout conservative and me teetering the fence of being a liberal, but I thought there could be no harm in listening for awhile.  As a human being, the only way I or anybody can learn is to listen.  This is something that most people have forgotten nowadays, unless we are only listening to someone who already shares our opinion, which nothing new can be accomplished.
     I listened to this man go on for hours about historical facts, how he came to arrive at his opinion, and just in general how this individual came to be in his current state.  I have to say that this guy could easily be my friend now.  He made very valid points on diplomacy, the state of the economy, foreign trade, health care, and just about anything I could throw at him.  I tried not to offend him, and he went out of his way not to offend me or insult my intelligence.  While we debated for hours, we both continued to make valid points and justify our positions in what we believed.  It was almost beautiful, except for the fact that we couldn't agree on anything.  Well, except that we agreed to disagree.
     When I turn o my television set or read my newspaper nowadays, I see a lot of talk of bipartisanship.  I see the talk, but I do not see the action being carried out.  Both sides of our political empire in Washington are at complete opposition, with neither side making any sense whatsoever.  It makes a bad marriage look like a dream cruise.  For most politicians, this is something they are used to.  It's been going on for ages without letting up.  The only problem is that no solutions come out of two sides that never listen to one another, and millions of peoples lives are at stake.
     I don't expect any miracles out of writing this, and I know it's painful to spend time listening to someone you simply cannot agree with, but there is one thing that both political parties do agree on.  They both want to live and be a part of the greatest country in the world, and they both agree that this country is failing fast and needs help desperately.  If I could learn a few things from listening to somebody for a few hours, and he could learn a few things from me, I do believe there is some hope.  We all just have to shut up and listen long enough to find it.