Civil discourse takes center stage at Tiger Bay event

The Suncoast Tiger Bay Club picked an opportune time to host a discussion on “Getting Along: Politics, Religion and Race.”

The national political divide continues creeping into local nonpartisan elections. A firestorm of often vitriolic public opinion recently erupted when St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch offered $250,000 in now-rescinded bonuses to high-ranking officials who helped bring the Historic Gas Plant redevelopment deal to fruition.

Tiger Bay’s sold-out event, held Monday at the Vinoy Golf Club, highlighted the dangers of an increasing lack of civil debate. Dr. Gary Mason, founder of Rethinking Conflict and a Belfast, Northern Ireland native, kicked off the presentations by juxtaposing the current political climate with his country’s “internal civil war.”

“From my perspective, there’s far too much linguistic violence in the United States at the moment,” Mason said. “Religion in your space at the moment, as an outsider looking in, does need to take the temperature down.”

Mason is an ordained Methodist minister. He also lived through “The Troubles,” a nationalistic conflict that began in the late 1960s and ended in 1998 – with the help of American leaders from both sides of the aisle.

Mason noted that Northern Ireland is home to 1.5 million people. Nearly 4,000 people died in the conflict, which often pitted Protestants against Catholics.

He said a similar conflict in America would have resulted in three million bombings and 700,000 deaths over 30 years. Mason, who also holds several academic roles, splits his time between Ireland, the U.S. and the Middle East.

“I often hear conversations in the United States about civil war,” he said. “Is it a good idea? Is it a bad idea? I’ve had these conversations with Republicans and Democrats. Let me assure you, categorically, that it is an incredibly bad idea.”

Mason believes people are right to criticize religion. He noted that humans have routinely killed each other “in the name of the God of life.”

Mason referenced a professor who said incomprehensible acts become comprehensible when committed in conjunction with religion. He also stressed that dehumanizing rhetoric leads to violence.

“Science has long proven that storytelling is one of the most effective methods for changing a person’s mind,” Mason added. “So, why are we not creating spaces, be it in a golf club, a pub, a community center, in church or in academia, to humanize the other person?”

Gwendolyn Reese, president of the African American Heritage Association of St. Petersburg, is a prominent local storyteller. She is also a Gas Plant descendent who advised the Tampa Bay Rays and Hines development team.

Reese realizes that people will never reach a complete consensus on any subject. She also believes that differing opinions bolstered the development team’s proposal.

The oft-contentious debates regarding the project’s potential benefits and pitfalls have persisted in the month since local elected officials offered their approval. Reese said it is “now time for us to come together, put our differences aside, and work for the good of all to hold people accountable for what they said they’re going to do.”

“If you don’t heal from what hurt you, you will bleed on people that didn’t cut you,” she said. “And we are truly losing the ability to be civil in our country more and more every day.”

Reese trusts that people can collaboratively discern solutions that will not ensure everyone wins but prevent anyone from losing. “We can heal; it’s possible, and we can make it so.”

Former State Representative Jennifer Webb, an advisor with the Carter Center, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering world peace and mitigating disease, highlighted how partisanship affects interpersonal relationships and marriages. She also discussed the increasing emphasis on discerning someone’s political party affiliation.

“I was just talking to candidates who said it’s worse than ever,” Webb noted. “Even though I had great ideas, all they wanted to know is your party – for a nonpartisan race.”

While 20% of people believe political violence is acceptable in some cases, Webb said that 80% think it is never appropriate. She also stressed the importance of understanding someone’s beliefs rather than passing judgment.

Mason referenced former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill when he told attendees that democracy is a flawed system. However, he said it is still the best form of government and deserves protection.

“It’s precious for many other people not living in democratic societies globally,” Mason added.