FVO XI: “I Don’t Have the Time”*

This objection to civil discussion was first put in written form by Aristotle some 2400 years ago, who said: “Politics requires leisure.”

I’ve really never been that aware of what’s going on in politics. It’s not that I’m not interested; it’s just that I’ve always been too busy looking for work—or doing it. Right now, I’m lucky: I’ve got a good job, and for the first time in years, I’m putting a little money aside each week. The little free time I have, I give to my kids or to just recharging my batteries.

For many people, engaging in public policy discussions seems like a luxury, but it needn’t be.  At Interactivity Foundation, where I’ve worked for more than 16 years, we’ve learned that organizers can make it easier for potential participants in face to face discussions by providing food, transportation, and even child care.

At EnCiv, we want to expand access to civil discussions by making them accessible online, too.

Virtual interactions may not be as personal as physical ones, but they’re far easier for facilitators to arrange and citizens to access.  An hour and a half at home, on screen, at a time of one’s choosing is a much lower bar for busy people than leaving home for a meeting. And the benefits are likely to be similar, if not quite so profound.  (And in one area, online discussions have the advantage: they allow participants to interact with people from all over the country.)

Political discussion will always take time—but computers now allow it to take much less time and effort than ever before.  A couple of hours and access to a computer are all you need to participate.

*Adapted from Adolf G. Gundersen and Suzanne Goodney Lea, Let’s Talk Politics: Restoring Civility Through Exploratory Discussion, Chapter 3.