Serious Communication Breakdowns

None of us can predict the future but one thing I believe we can all count on is that so long as people walk the planet, there will continue to be serious breakdowns in communication. Here are a couple of examples that just popped up in the news over the past few days:

The other day a news story came out of Ohio in which one woman shot and killed another after the two argued over an appropriate outfit to wear on Easter Day. Apparently the victim was not dressed well enough to please the other. After what must have been a doozy of an argument between the two, I am guessing the shooter felt she had no other recourse than to get a gun and blast away at the other person. Talk about communication breakdowns! While I do not mean to make light of this tragic incident, it serves as a vivid and extreme example of what can and does happen when emotions completely take over the frustration people feel when they feel they are not being heard or listened to.

Virginia's still new governor Robert McDonnell declared April to be Confederate History Month as a way of promoting tourism in the state and recognizing "the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War." In his declaration, McDonnell made no mention of slavery or the fact Virginia succeeded from the union in order to protect a white person's ability to literally own other human beings. Not surprisingly, this triggered an out cry of criticism that pounded the governor for purposely omitting all references to slavery or Virginia's struggle with civil rights. Since his initial declaration, McDonnell has since apologized for his omission saying it was his initial intent to focus on issues that "were most significant for Virginia." Obviously, such a blatant attempt to mis-represent history did not benefit any one, least of all a governor whose job it is to represent everyone, not just a small base of supporters who may view Virginia's actions during that period in American history as commendable.

Communication works best when people are able to take a step beyond their own perspectives and take into account the views and information that others bring to the table. Neither the lady in Ohio or Governor McDonnell did that.