Amidst all of the verbal firebombs of this current election cycle, there was also a real firebomb. The North Carolina headquarters of the GOP was destroyed by an incendiary device. The horror of that level of violence and depravity is almost offset by what happened next.
David Weinburger started a campaign on Gofundme.com to raise funds to help the Republicans rebuild the facility. Within just 40 minutes, over $13,000 was raised.
Here are the kickers. Mr. Weinburger doesn't even live in North Carolina; he lives in Massachusetts. Mr. Weinburger isn't a Republican; he is a Democrat. Mr. Weinburger specifically appealed to fellow Democrats in his Gofundme appeal, "No matter the result, this is not how Americans resolve their differences." Mr. Weinburger reached across. . .both geographic boundaries and party lines.
Contrast Mr. Weinburger's actions (and the actions of his donors) to the current political climate which has more and more become one of party isolationism and the desire of obliteration of those with opposing viewpoints.
As much as we may complain about the current political environment, or as much as we complain about obstructionism in the workplace; when we refuse to reach out to understand the other side and build bridges, we are part of the chaos we complain about.
Do we want to win? Do we want the world to be a better place? I believe that most of us do. We do not accomplish that by building increasingly extreme points of view; we do it by reaching out so that we may preserve and grow what is truly foundational to our success.
Mr. Weinburger could have sat on idealism and, in this case, found another notch of victory in that the opposing party suffered a physical loss. Instead, he took the larger view that a two party system and healthy arguments are essential to our democracy and he enabled others to reach across party lines to preserve that which is truly important.
In politics. In work. In family. Reach across. Build bridges. Be successful.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
David Weinburger started a campaign on Gofundme.com to raise funds to help the Republicans rebuild the facility. Within just 40 minutes, over $13,000 was raised.
Here are the kickers. Mr. Weinburger doesn't even live in North Carolina; he lives in Massachusetts. Mr. Weinburger isn't a Republican; he is a Democrat. Mr. Weinburger specifically appealed to fellow Democrats in his Gofundme appeal, "No matter the result, this is not how Americans resolve their differences." Mr. Weinburger reached across. . .both geographic boundaries and party lines.
Contrast Mr. Weinburger's actions (and the actions of his donors) to the current political climate which has more and more become one of party isolationism and the desire of obliteration of those with opposing viewpoints.
As much as we may complain about the current political environment, or as much as we complain about obstructionism in the workplace; when we refuse to reach out to understand the other side and build bridges, we are part of the chaos we complain about.
Do we want to win? Do we want the world to be a better place? I believe that most of us do. We do not accomplish that by building increasingly extreme points of view; we do it by reaching out so that we may preserve and grow what is truly foundational to our success.
Mr. Weinburger could have sat on idealism and, in this case, found another notch of victory in that the opposing party suffered a physical loss. Instead, he took the larger view that a two party system and healthy arguments are essential to our democracy and he enabled others to reach across party lines to preserve that which is truly important.
In politics. In work. In family. Reach across. Build bridges. Be successful.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
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