[EDITOR’S NOTEThe following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by verified resident. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of South King Media, nor its staff.]

Reaching Across the Political Bike Chain

Yesterday I had an unexpected and wonderful experience.

I took my bike in to a local bike shop for a light and some advice on how much the old bike is in need of repair.

When the bike shop owner finally got to me, I don’t know how it happened, I didn’t start up on politics, I guess he did.

I immediately discovered that we were miles apart on our chosen candidates – he is an ardent supporter of someone who is on the ballot in just a few states at this point.

But this man was fixing – or not fixing – my bike as we spoke, so while he talked policy and philosophy a mile a minute, wanted to know my views, and would even pause in his work to hear them, I found myself in a high-paced, gentle sparring match! 😊

I was in need of a working bike, so I found myself doing mental calisthenics, thinking fast on my feet: to readily agree on common ground – we both want peace as a priority in this world; to inform him assertively on topics he thought he knew better, like on Ukraine and Russia; and otherwise, to draw a line in the sand, like on an allusion to race.

He asked me if I’ve heard his candidate speak before. As a rabid BBC listener and PBS Newshour watcher, I was happy to say I had, and said I did. I could have added some negative impressions here, but refrained. 😊 Had I heard his latest 2-hour speech? A polite “no.”

We quickly covered some topics like his candidate’s emphasis on the environment, more on world peace – we stayed away from VP Harris and former President Trump – those topics were not going to get us very far – and were not going to get my bike fixed either. 😊

I learned that this person is a Democrat, like me. I learned that he is hoping his candidate will become a whisperer for Trump. Not like me.

Bottom line – this guy wants peace in the world and prosperity for Americans. I’m all for those things.

He thinks that with Trump’s election, the war in Ukraine will end immediately. I also want to see an end to that war – but would some sudden “end” bring peace?? He wants to see diplomacy instead of more men killed – I am hugely for that. 

He did a great job fixing my bike. 😊 He even asked me if I thought the 10 bucks he charged me for some readjustment to my brakes was a fair price – I said yes. (I would of course prefer to pay $5, but who’s to argue? 😊)

At the cash register, he even had a leaflet of information about his candidate’s platform. 

I was in no way persuaded to prefer his candidate and it’s clear he doesn’t support mine. But it was an amicable conversation, respect on both sides, diplomacy duly practiced – or at least I tried. 😊

When I said good-bye, escorting my bike out, not only was it in good shape, but I had this really exhilarating feeling that has stayed with me! 😊 

How often do we have a conversation on politics with a person with radically different views that turns out with a mental or physical handshake?

Moral of the story – probably the bike chain between us was the key! 😊 It’s the symbol of exchange. In our case, he knows how to take care of it, and I need to peddle with it.  😊

You might be reaching across not a bike chain, but a bakery counter, or a long bar with taps, or a car repair cashier’s desk. Whatever it may be, when your person is ready to lend their expertise with a dash of common-ground, even if divergent political view, I think you will also go for that mental handshake, even the agree-to-disagree one. 😊

– Irene Danysh

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4 replies on “LETTER TO THE EDITOR: ‘Reaching across the political bike chain’”

  1. Not trying to be a jerk here or anything, but striving for politeness in political discussions with fascists is so counter-productive. It’s the same behavior that allowed the Nazi party to gain power without being criticized.

    I implore you to read the book “They Thought They Were Free” which outlines the rise of Nazi power in Germany, and how ordinary Germans assisted them.

    I get that RFKJr is not as openly fascist as Trump, but they are all on the same fascist team, striving for the same fascist goals.

  2. $5? What was he suppose to do with that? I’m glad you decided to give him the $10.
    Are bike mechanics getting ripped off now? Geez.

  3. I read this little anecdote and felt the biker was absolutely trying to be open hearted and receptive, and above all respectful. It is counter productive to use words that are labels. When we talk to our neighbors, our store clerk, a casual acquaintance, what good does it do to introduce anything that creates defensiveness or hostility? We are all on this fragile planet together, let’s do our utmost to make it better, healthier. That includes all our interactions with one another. If we can come away with even close to a feeling of being uplifted, what a better world it would be.

    1. “What good does it do to introduce anything that creates defensiveness or hostility?”

      Perhaps you don’t quite understand what is at stake in this election. Fascism is at our doorstep, and it is everyone’s responsibility to stop its spread.

      Being polite and respectful is not how you stop fascism. You shouldn’t want to “connect” with people that are planning to destroy our country. Again I will suggest the book “They Thought They Were Free”. If you ever wondered what you would be doing during the rise of Nazi power in Germany, you are probably doing it right now.

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