January 25, 2011

As many readers know, Tuesday marks President Barack Obama’s second State of the Union Address.

Those who follow politics remember last year, when Rep. Joe Wilson, R-Sc., yelled at our president during his speech, saying – scratch that — shouting “You lie!”

You may also remember the drama of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito frowning and shaking his head when the president scolded the high court. If you didn’t know, a justice showing any kind of response to such an event is quite the taboo, especially when our Constitution mandates that justices be completely impartial.

The suspense. The tension. The drama. What more can one expect when the most powerful players in the most powerful democracy on Earth are packed into one room together?

Since that night last year, our political system has dramatically changed. Polarization in Washington has continued to rise, but has recently been put in a new limelight after a tragic shooting in Tucson, Ariz., which resulted in the deaths of six people and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Az., severely wounded. It sparked quite a bit of discussion on the political climate in America — could vicious verbiage from political parties have inspired violent acts against lawmakers?

Amid this conversation, congressmen and congresswomen from across the nation and from either side of the aisle have pledged to sit with members of the opposite party during the president’s speech.

A nice symbolic gesture? Yes. But does it mark the dawn of a new era of politics in Washington? Hardly.

It’s time something productive be done which can end the political polarization in Washington. Sitting next to someone who thinks differently than you doesn’t magically make them agree with you. No compromises will be made as a result of shaking up the congressional seating chart.

Odds are, the Democrats will still stand together to applaud, and the Republicans will still sit together and look pissed during the president’s speech. In the long run, purely symbolic gestures such as the seating chart won’t change a damn thing. It’s time for the politicians in Washington to sit down at the table (no, you don’t have to sit by someone you don’t want to) and get something real, productive and effective done through intelligent conversation, not the typical polarizing language.

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