What I appreciate about your writing most, Garrett, is the way you always ask us to connect with a person's full humanity. It's clear that when we have a short-term agenda (get this stranger to vote for x person in y election cycle), the superficial questions feel like shortcuts. But they do movement building such a disservice. Actually getting to know each other as humans and deeply listening to our individual and collective needs is what we need.
It's been hard to get into the election cycle this go because it all feels so damn hollow and not enough, but I find reading your nuance and compassion to be a breath of fresh air in it all.
My least favorite question: Do you think things in your country/state/town are going in the right direction or the wrong direction? I swear this comes up in every poll I have ever responded to. It's complicated!!! I would love to be asked any open-ended question! (I don't live in a swing state, but there is a lot of polling on propositions here in California.)
Appreciative inquiry ftw! I love questions like, “What do you love about living in your community? What is your community doing well? What do you want to see improved?”
"You can probably guess what I love about this question based on what I hated most about the other questions. First, it’s collective— it’s asking people to consider not just their experience but that of their neighbors." Yes!! Gosh, I love these questions.
In writing studies and journalism we often call the assumptions that questions make "warrants." All of the "warrants" of your bad questions *assume the person already agrees that what matters most is themselves, and in most cases their finances.
I think if we asked more people what their community needs, more people would be like: all the kids in this neighborhood need coats and enough food. Safe schools. We all need to be more healthy. Wow, what a different convo we would be having (and reporting) if we posed questions that way.
Thank you for this! I feel both bleak and hopeful when an essay full of I-should-know-this-already hits me profoundly. It’s so easy to accept so little in our political imagination.
What I appreciate about your writing most, Garrett, is the way you always ask us to connect with a person's full humanity. It's clear that when we have a short-term agenda (get this stranger to vote for x person in y election cycle), the superficial questions feel like shortcuts. But they do movement building such a disservice. Actually getting to know each other as humans and deeply listening to our individual and collective needs is what we need.
It's been hard to get into the election cycle this go because it all feels so damn hollow and not enough, but I find reading your nuance and compassion to be a breath of fresh air in it all.
My least favorite question: Do you think things in your country/state/town are going in the right direction or the wrong direction? I swear this comes up in every poll I have ever responded to. It's complicated!!! I would love to be asked any open-ended question! (I don't live in a swing state, but there is a lot of polling on propositions here in California.)
Appreciative inquiry ftw! I love questions like, “What do you love about living in your community? What is your community doing well? What do you want to see improved?”
"You can probably guess what I love about this question based on what I hated most about the other questions. First, it’s collective— it’s asking people to consider not just their experience but that of their neighbors." Yes!! Gosh, I love these questions.
In writing studies and journalism we often call the assumptions that questions make "warrants." All of the "warrants" of your bad questions *assume the person already agrees that what matters most is themselves, and in most cases their finances.
I think if we asked more people what their community needs, more people would be like: all the kids in this neighborhood need coats and enough food. Safe schools. We all need to be more healthy. Wow, what a different convo we would be having (and reporting) if we posed questions that way.
Thank you for this! I feel both bleak and hopeful when an essay full of I-should-know-this-already hits me profoundly. It’s so easy to accept so little in our political imagination.
I love this. Think you for much for this.