At his inauguration, President Joe Biden said, “We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts. If we show a little tolerance and humility."
Whether one voted for him or not, President Biden’s words are worth breaking down.The beginning of the quoteisone I take to heart. At this point in my career, I have lived through—and studied—my fair share of administrations.But Biden’shopeful wordsimply a deeper notion at play.
Red against blue…ruralagainsturban…conservativeagainst liberal…
Humans are naturally homophilic (meaning“love of the same”), andour brains subconsciously seek clues in other people, philosophies,and situationssimilar toours.In an age when diversity,equity, andinclusion(DEI) efforts seek tochallenge homophily,influences like social media have brought intense focus onour own tendencies to surround ourselves with likeminded people. By shedding the“us versus them”mentality, we open ourselves to a world of possibilities, innovation, and creative solutions to complex problems.Butdo we have the collective will to do that?
Since before the Civil War,Americanshave witnessed a pendulum phenomenon withU.S. House and Senatemajorities, especially during mid-termelections.You’d be forgiven for thinkingthese swingsmight be beneficial wherepolitical diversityisconcerned; after all,every party’sagenda wouldregainthe spotlightwith a new crop of lawmakers in charge.This would probably have been true in previous decades, but not in today’s hotbeds of partisanshipwhere reaching a supermajority of 60 votes seems nearly unattainable on all but the least controversial legislation.
Modern partisanship has led to legislative obstruction, a dearth of civility, and the extinction of compromise.“The uncivil war”that pits us against one anotherisdestructive toour democratic experiment, and unless we can find the will to pull ourselves out of the “us against them” quagmire, we will find ourselves in a barren wasteland in which possibilities, innovation, and creative solutions to complex problems don’t exist.
Is there a chance we can change directionnow thatthe executive branch and both chambers of the legislative brancharecontrolled by one political party?Some would say a one-party government trifecta could be beneficialbecause it can increase efficiency in passing legislation and avoid gridlock. Others may argue that government trifectas are undesirable because one side can easily pass its agenda unopposed.
The much anticipated “blue wave”didn’t quitematerialize in 2020.Some blame intraparty bickering, and lack of a coherent, unified message. While anopposing “red wave”mayserve as a formidable countermeasure,there is a lack of coherence in corners of that space, as well.
So, here we are again,asdivided—if not more so—than ever.
When the terrible events of Jan. 6 unfoldedatournation’s Capitol, I received an influx of messages regardingour PAC contributions, whichare deliberately nonpartisan in nature.LeagueslikeCornerstonework with the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) to ensure that we’re supporting credit unionchampionsacross the country, regardless of party. The interconnectedness of the federal- and state-level associationsis part ofthesecret sauce that makes our system work.
With the 2020 Census behind us, redistrictingwill take place this year, possibly determining who controls national and state legislative bodies.In fast-growing states likeTexas, redistricting willalso lead to reapportionment.The process will be complex and contentious, and the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be redistributed amongst the 50 states.Willthis lead to a reexamining of political ideology? That remains to be seen.
Perhaps a quick review of the intersection of U.S. and credit union history will give us some clues.TheGreat Depression ofthe 1930s was rife with poverty, unemployment, andeconomic disintegration.More than 15 million American wage-earnerswere unemployedwithno insurance or compensation, driving people to stand for hours in bread lines.Now almost 90 years later, our nation faces some disturbing parallels.
Aftermore than 9,000 banksclosedbetween 1930 and 1933—4,000 in 1933 alone—Franklin DelanoRoosevelt’s New Deal gave rise to new banking policies and regulations thatledto long-term stabilityinthe financial services industry.By the time Roosevelt signed the Federal Credit Union Act into law in 1934,cooperatively structuredcredit unions had gained popularity by creatinga system to promote thrift and sound financial practices.The credit union movement started as innovatorsin the midst of incomparable American strife.
Biden’s wordsinspire hope,butmore importantly,they inspire action.In aworld of possibilities,wouldn’t it be a mark of oursuccessas a movement if credit unions could once again be an innovativesolution tosomecomplex problems?Afterall, we’ve been helpingconsumers rise above the economic damage of the COVID-19 pandemicfor the last year, and we will continue to lift people up as we always have.
But how can we makelawmakers see credit unions as part of the answer?Rhetoric isn’t enough, of course. We’ll need solid data.
Leagues and credit unionscanshow our financial powerand innovationas a result of the lengths credit unions went—including and beyond the Paycheck Protection Program—to providecreativefirst-responder financial assistance to millions of struggling Americans—many who were turned away by banks.Credit unions may share their stories bysubmittingshort videos to CUNA’sAdvancing Community siteto help in CUNA’s communications with elected officials.
Another waycreditunionscan amplify their voices is by discoveringtheirmember ofCongress,statesenator, andstaterepresentativeand connecting with their office.Visit their websitesto find out which committees they serve on and when they are back in the district.Ensure tohave their contact information to expedite contact on priority issues.Some helpful resources includehttps://www.usa.gov/elected-officialsandhttps://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative.
Additionally, you can get more involved by participatingin governmental affairs conferences (GACs), either CUNA’s, or your state league’s.Though this year’s GACswill be mostly virtual, they are still powerfulevents thatshowcaseourgrassroots strength.The more credit unions participate, the strongerour presence and the greater our influence.
As a credit union leader, I have faith our economy will bounce back. As a citizen, I am concerned about how we as humans can hope to be better if we can’t embrace those unlike ourselves—if we can’t, as Biden said, open our souls instead of hardening our hearts and show a little tolerance and humility.
“If we show a little tolerance and humility.”
My final thoughts on this topicreston the last sentence in the quote.Tolerancelets usstandsilentlyin the same room asour adversaries. Humility breaks down a barrier and opens our hearts to engage in dialogue. Whether that dialogue is productive is up to you.