Yesterday, someone asked me what I’ve got against Common Ground. From what he’s read in the news, they’ve been here since right after the storm, doing a lot of work that no one else has wanted to do. And yes, I have to admit that although I think their effectiveness has been slightly overrated, and although they haven’t always been equally polite to the citizens of New Orleans since descending on our city in great unwashed hordes, I suppose Common Ground has done some good.
The problem is that beyond the social services they attempt to provide, they’re a bunch of activists–and not the smart kind of activists, either. They’re strident, humorless, and self-important; they talk to people, not with them; they’re unwilling to meet anyone halfway or to speak of compromise. But worst of all, they’re guilty of the most heinous sin I know, one that we in New Orleans can ill-afford to tolerate at the moment:
They refuse to give anyone the benefit of the doubt.
Common Ground’s rhetoric is oddly similar to that of our president: either you’re with us, or you’re against us. If anyone disagrees, or if anyone wants to offer a suggestion, it’s greeted with hostility. There is no room for discussion. Everyone else is the enemy.
But of course, Common Ground folks aren’t the only ones with bluster on their hands. Many people and groups in New Orleans are riled up just as easily at the faintest suggestion of conflict. In fact, I think much of the racial strife that exists here (and elsewhere) is grounded in this kind of knee-jerk defensiveness. On occasion, that may be justified, but more often than not, it stems from people not trusting one another.
So, not to be all touchy-feely and shit, but you should give it a try. I’m not just talking to Common Ground, I mean everybody. Give someone the benefit of the doubt. Assume that you’re from the same planet. Assume you’re on the same side. Lighten up. Laugh at yourself. Or I’ll be forced to smack you around.
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