As we are only days away from Election Day, it is hard to ignore the tension between people who hold differing opinions. One First Presbyterian Church (FPC) member has personal experience with that tension, both within himself and with his peers.
Retired U.S. Congressman Dennis A. Ross recently released a book about his experiences in politics. Titled, “Reaching Across the Aisle: Reflections on my Time in Politics,” the book allows Ross the opportunity to share stories and experiences while also teaching of the necessity of statesman leaders, one of his passions.
He defines the differences between statesman leaders and politicians as the former is concerned with making a difference for the next generation and the latter is concerned with winning the next election.
Ross is currently the Director of the American Center for Political Leadership at Southeastern University in Lakeland. Ross served in Congress from 2011 – 2019.
“I’ve kept a journal since I was a freshman in college,” Ross says. “I wrote the book because I found myself trying to answer the question, ‘why did you leave at the top of your game in politics to go and do what you’re doing now.’”
“I came to a better understanding of the importance of what I wanted to do,” he says in the book. “It was no longer about obtaining a title for my own glory, but about making life easier and better for those who chose me to represent them.”
In the introduction to his book. Ross states, “With the decline of the K-12 civics curriculum, there’s been a corresponding degradation of political figures in their duties. Can a country survive, let alone thrive, without leaders willing to prioritize the greater good of their country over their personal ambitions?”
Ross speaks fondly about being the first recipient of the Silver Garland Award in Citizenship while in high school.
He says he has had a passion for the process of the republic form of government since he was a child. He confesses his initial interest in government and politics was because of his own ego and title seeking, but explains that he later realized there is a responsibility and trust that goes with it.
“I had an obligation to not betray the trust of the people who elected me,” he says.
Ross says there are several criteria necessary in order to have productive, controversial conversations. “Follow through with respect, empathetic listening, humor, common ground, and admitting when you are wrong. At the end of the day, you probably haven’t convinced the other person, but you’ve built a relationship. Whoever is your adversary today may need to be your advocate tomorrow. Character assassinations don’t build relationships.”
“When people have the chance to voice their grievances, they are much more likely to move on and move forward,” he says.
In the book, Ross says, “I understand the need for partisanship in order to build a political organization, but at some point, efforts have to be made to achieve a greater good for all Americans, regardless of party affiliation. Effective leadership unites a country – it doesn’t divide it.”
“We have to take ownership of our citizenship and take ownership of our communities,” he says. “We are in a good community, a very giving community. We have produced some very good leaders. No extremists have come out of this community. We have balanced, statesman quality leaders.”
In person and in the book, Ross speaks quickly and easily about his faith and how it has impacted his life. “I was able to stay focused by the grace of God and the help of others.”
“I challenge communities to encourage programs that build young statesman leaders,” Ross says. “Programs like that played a part in my life growing up in this community. I was encouraged, and over time, I had the chance to continue my passion for politics.”
“I wanted to help build young leaders who know they have to focus on the greater good,” he says. “Citizens needed to be educated on our system of politics.”
‘You need to be the leader you want to see,” Ross says. “Exercise civility, empathetic listening, and the building of relationships that are so necessary to be an effective leader. There is no reason we shouldn’t demand our leaders be that way.”
“If we embrace our differences through civil interaction and dialogue, we can become better as individuals and as a nation. It requires a conscious effort to coexist with each other despite our differences.”
“If we embrace our differences through civil interaction and dialogue, we can become better as individuals and as a nation. It requires a conscious effort to coexist with each other despite our differences.”
“We, the American people, can transform this nation into what we believe it should be by exercising these basic elements of civil discourse and by demanding that our leaders do the same.”
(Photo credit, thanks to the SEU website)