Civil Discourse
As some of you know, I was a player in the referendum battle to build the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Convention Center known as Monona Terrace in Madison WI. That win catalyzed the private sector in this city to flood into a downtown that was 50% vacant before the vote and transform the city’s core into a vibrant center of commerce and livability.
We are approaching the 25th anniversary of opening the doors of this sensational community asset, which took me completely by surprise. Really? It’s been 25 years (which means it’s been 30 years since the fateful vote that signaled that Madison would finally embrace its legacy and potential)?
Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been combing over old VHS tapes that contain TV coverage, community debates and the zeitgeist of those years in which Madison vigorously debated its future. The two sides were, today, quite comically called “It’s Wright for Wisconsin” and “It Ain’t Wright.”
But it was serious business…with, at least (on our side), late night strategy sessions in sketchy downtown buildings (that today have been transformed into high-end condos and trendy eateries because of our success). There were days we thought all was lost and days we saw a flicker of hope. We all went into election night with our fingers crossed (though I put on a confident game face for the cameras).
Today, Madison makes a lot of Top Ten lists. Monona Terrace is a big part of that. While we won the referendum with just 50.8% of the vote, if you ask most Madisonians how they voted, 4 out of 5 will today likely say they voted ‘Yes.”
So…as I was parsing through the videos the other day, I stumbled upon a debate between myself and a City Council member with whom we couldn’t have been more diametrically opposed. On everything. And, as I watched the video roll, I marveled at our repartee.
We played off each other with respect. We agreed on some points of contention. We agreed to disagree on others. I don’t actually remember, but we likely shook hands before and after the interview. While I can’t say we were “friends,” we certainly were not enemies…even though we disagreed on so much.
Indeed, a year or two after the referendum, we served together on a City sub-committee. The afternoon after a Council meeting that went to 2am in which we were (again) on opposite sides of an issue, we emerged from the Committee meeting dragging. We shook our heads as we headed for home as we learned from each other that our partners had kept us up well past our late arrival home because they each opposed our respective stated positions…and chose to continue to challenge us for our positions.
I remember laughing and saying to him…we gotta get the four of us together for dinner sometime. That would be fun. And, he smiled, nodded and said, "yeah, let’s do that.”
Sadly it never happened. I jumped into consulting and my work took me nationwide. A quick check online confirms that he continues to actively work with underserved communities in Madison…and his photogenic smile online makes me smile with fondness.
Given how polarized we’ve all become as a nation, would there still be an interest in breaking bread or grabbing a drink? I certainly don't know. But watching these 30 year old videos makes me wanna cry for what we've lost as a people. In our work around this country, we've watched numerous County Commissions, City Councils and even School Board meetings that have devolved into bedlam with participants screaming and shouting at each other. And, aren't we all trying to make our communities a better place, as Bert and I were lo those years ago? Or is it only about Red and Blue...and whose Team you're on?
Can we ever get back to that place where we respectfully agree to disagree and yet be civil to one another in order to work toward a common good for our communities (without an Independence Day event)?
I truly believe those of us in the DMO space can be that change as we dedicate ourselves to Quality of Life and Place. Red or Blue...enhanced livability can't be debated. And that is where we live.