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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2016)
December 7, 2016 Page 15 Seeking Reconciliation Post-Election C ontinued froM P age 6 munication equates to accepting or condoning what some (not all) of Trump’s supporters are doing. One friend referred to his supporters as dogs needing to be tamed. There are stories, pains, and hopes behind positions that we often cannot see at the surface. This is what I strive to remember in the wake of an un- precedented and unexpected out- come to an election season that has introduced new levels of polariza- tion, pain, and fear, leaving many of us afraid and uncertain of what lies ahead. The needs of an unheard portion of our country have finally been recognized; it is deeply un- fortunate and concerning for the other half that this occurred within the context of unprecedently public prejudice, violence, and threaten- ing policies towards our country’s minorities and most vulnerable populations. I fear that I may soon be coined a self-hating Muslim and child of immigrants for suggesting the hu- manity of the other side. But what I am speaking from is my training in mediation and conflict resolution. While recognizing and not denying nor excusing the real harm that has been done and which is still ongo- ing amid this national conflict, the best tool that mediators have to of- fer to parties in conflict is the ques- tion: “how do we want to move forward now?” Amid this time of divisive pol- itics and dehumanization, we each still have the power to decide in- dividually how we engage with those who differ from ourselves in thought, word, and deed. It is our choice, always, as are the conse- quences of that choice. Indeed, those choices are what lead us to where we are today: po- larization, fear, prejudice. It is up to each of us now how we move forward, but that fate is shared by us all. Saadia Ahmad studies con- flict resolution at the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. It Does Good Things TM This page is sponsored by Oregon Lottery C alendar December 2016 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY 1 5 Walt Disney’s Birth- day born, 1901 Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955) 6 Mitten Tree Day St. Nicholas Day 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, ratified (1865) FRIDAY SATURDAY 2 3 SUNDAY 4 Eat a Red Apple Day Rosa Parks Day World AIDS Day David Macaulay born, 1946 National Fritters Day International Day of Persons with Disabilities National Roof-Over- Your-Head Day Munro Leaf born, 1905 National Cookie Day Phonograph Invent- ed (1877) 8 9 10 11 James Thurber born, 1894 National Brownie Day Inventor Eli Whitney born, 1765 Ball-Bearing Roller Skates Patented in 1884 First Christmas Seals Issued in 1907 Rumer Godden born, 1907 Human Rights Day Emily Dickinson born, 1830 UNICEF Anniversary Established in 1946 Pilgrims landed on Plymoth Rock, 1620 17 18 7 National Cotton Candy Day Pearl Harbor Re- membrance Day (1941) 12 13 14 15 16 Barbara Emberley born, 1932 Hovercraft Patented (1955) Poinsettia Day National Cocoa Day Susan B. Anthony dollar coined in 1970 First Miniature Golf Course Opened, 1929 South Pole Discov- ered, 1911 Bill of Rights Day Underdog Day David McCord born, 1897 Beethoven’s Birth- day (1770) Boston Tea Party Anniversary (1773) 19 20 21 22 23 Oatmeal Muffin Day Dickens’ A Christ- mas Carol pub- lished in 1843 26 Boxing Day Kwanzaa Begins National Whiners Day Games Day Electric Light demonstrated in 1879 27 Ingri d’Aulaire born, 1904 Visit the Zoo Day World Bank created (1945) First Day of Winter Humbug Day Bright Side Day National Flashlight Day 28 Card Playing Day Iowa became the 29th state (1846) National Chocolate Day R First Christmas Lights, 1882 Mercury Thermome- ter Invented, 1714 29 Texas became the 28th state (1845) Roots Day Federal Reserve System established (1913) 30 Tiger Woods born, 1975 Author Rudyard Kipling born, 1865 Wright Brother’s First Flight (1903) National Maple Syrup Day Wear a Plunger On Your Head Day Baseball great Ty Cobb born, 1886 24 25 Hanukkah Begins Christmas Christmas Eve National Pumpkin Pie Day National Egg Nog Day Apollo 8 reached moon, 1968 31 New Year’s Eve
