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