Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2021)
Wednesday, September 1, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Commentary... Understanding each other By Mitchell Luftig Correspondent Judging by recent letters to the editor in The Nugget, some resi- dents of Sisters Country who have been vaccinated against COVID- 19 are running out of patience with those who resist vaccination and mandates to wear masks in public spaces, such as our local schools. But as Jonathan Haidt said in an interview in The Atlantic about the nature of political disagree- ments, <Does anyone really think we are going to win people over by insulting them and spouting hatred toward them? Or are we going to win them over by listening, one on one, as individuals, human to human, American to American?= In his book, <Righteous Minds: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion,= Haidt offers insights that may help us to under- stand those on the other side of the vaccination/mask debate. He offers us the metaphor of an elephant and its rider: The elephant represents the intuitive processes we use to make most of our decisions, propelling us toward people, experiences, and resources that will benefit us and away from those that might cause us harm. The rider9s job is to seek out information that confirms the elephant9s intuition and to use this information to justify the ele- phant9s actions. Some people9s intuition (and certainly the intuition of those who run in their herd) is that the vac- cines against COVID-19 have dan- gerous side effects and so taking them is not safe. Similar intuitions may apply to wearing masks. In support of their original intu- ition they offer up research from <experts= who cast doubt on the effectiveness/safety of the vaccines and masking. Because intuition (the elephant) led them to their stance on vaccina- tion and masks, appeals to reason will not prove effective, no matter how many studies we try to show them or experts we cite. Only by listening, striving to understand how intuition guided their thinking about vaccination and masking, can we hope to fur- ther any dialogue. Evolution may help us to under- stand why some parents at the last school board meeting were so irate about their children being forced to return to school masked. Human evolution, says Johnathan Haidt, took place at CLARIFICATION In last weeks9 Nugget the story about Habitat for Humanity9s annual volunteer recognition event (August 25, page 1) incorrectly reported that Diana Harris was in her Habitat home for 15 years. It is 19 years. both the level of the individual and the level of the group. The most fit humans survived to pass along their genes to their descendants. But those who tried to go it alone often didn9t survive for long. Individuals who banded together for mutual defense, who hunted, gathered food, and raised offspring cooperatively, were more likely to outcompete others for lim- ited resources, thereby increasing their chances of survival. Group cooperation was also favored by natural selection. There exists an inherent tension between the individual, focused on their personal welfare, and the group, whose success requires everyone to set aside their personal agendas (at least temporarily) and work cooperatively for the benefit of the group. Getting this balance right is critical, because communities who fail to honor individual rights soon lose the cooperation of their members. The proper exercise of power by those in authority is so critical to the success of a community that according to Haidt, humans come <pre-wired= with a moral sensitiv- ity to authority and its potential for abuse. Even our early ancestors had experience with tyrannical lead- ers who neglected the needs of the clan in favor of the power afforded by their position. Clan mem- bers would band together to oust oppressive leaders. When parents in our community tell us that the balance of power has shifted too far in favor of the group9s welfare, depriving them of the right to determine what9s best for their children, we should try to understand their concerns. When our parents feel heard, they will be more likely to consider the welfare of others living in the community, including the medi- cally vulnerable, as they exercise their right to make decisions about their children9s welfare. Understanding the world from the perspective of our parents is the best way to enlist their cooperation when we ask them to send their children to school with a positive attitude about wearing masks (or vaccinating against COVID-19). We must strive to strengthen our community by listening to all of our voices. Additional source: https:// w w w. t h e a t l a n t i c . c o m / i d e a s / a rc h i v e / 2 0 2 0 / 0 5 / j o n a t h a n - haidt-pandemic-and-americas- polarization/612025/ Harris was not the second, but the ninth, to pay off a Habitat mortgage in Sisters since 1991. Typically, Habitat funds 25- to 30-year loans, and hers was a spe- cial circumstance having received a grant that reduced her mortgage term. www.NuggetNews.com LABOR DAY BLOCK PARTY! 2021-2022 HOODOO SEASON PASS SALE! Starts September 1! Adults $549 | Seniors $449 College $499 Ages 8-12 $249 Ages 13-18 $449 Purchase in-store or online at skihoodoo.com Hoodoo Is Magical... Save the date for New Year’s Eve! 541-904-4673 411 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters LABOR DAY WEEKEND SALE! Wed., Sept. 1 - Mon., Sept. 6 SALE ON SELECT CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES, KIDS’ BIKES & SELECT ADULT BIKES! (2022 Bikes Are Arriving) Bicycle Sales, Service, Rentals 541-719-1213 413 W. Hood Ave., Sisters BlazinSaddlesHub.com Recently awarded The NBDA’s Bicycle Retailer Excellence Award (BREA) One-Stop Shopping For… Labor Day Weekend GROCERIES | MEAT | PRODUCE | BAKERY | LIQUOR 635 N. ARROWLEAF WLEAF TRAIL | WWW WWW.GORAYS.COM GORAYS COM | OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK WEEK, 7 AM TO 10 PM 13