Value of Opposing Views

Despite some gorgeous New England September weather, I found the past week to be pretty depressing. Between the 24th anniversary of Sept. 11, the assassination of a controversial American political figure and the passing of a beloved neighbor, I was feeling a little low. Getting out on Friday night to hear what could be a dry lecture did not seem to be an optimal way to end my week.

But a friend was sponsoring a lecture series at our local public library, so I decided to go. I’ll be honest, the talk entitled “The Art of Civic Friendship, or What Can We Learn from Jefferson and Adams?” did not at first sound enthralling to me. But I was a little curious about what Jane Kamensky, president of the Monticello/Thomas Jefferson Foundation, would have to say about the friendship between the two great men.

Let me tell you, the surprisingly packed auditorium crowd was riveted for the duration of the program. Not only did Kamensky share fascinating anecdotes about two of our U.S. founding fathers, but this lecture also occurred at the end of a week when our audience really needed to hear what she had to say about disagreeing respectfully.

I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend. 

—Thomas Jefferson

She outlined how Jefferson and Adams came from different worlds and disagreed vigorously, but through their shared love of country and family, they were able to collaborate productively on laying the brilliant foundation for our democracy. Their disagreements led to tense periods of time when they were not speaking, but they ended their lives in contact and with great affection for each other’s humanity.

At a time when our political and social norms discourage difficult conversations and disagreement, the lecture on Friday was a welcome reminder that our great country was built by incorporating a plurality of ideas and fostering lively debate. These differences were actually considered gifts, and diverse opinions led the way toward robust solutions to the challenges of the day.