A lifetime ago I was a college debate student, traveling all over the US for my school to compete in tournaments. One of the schools that we regularly competed against had an interesting strategy — instead of discussing the policy topic adopted by all the schools for the year they would debate racism in academia and the world.
| Note: this is not the space to debate racism, I am sharing this background to give context. While I did not agree with their approach to the debate, I absolutely know racism is horrific and prevent in our society still. |
Competing against this school was a challenge, you don’t want to assert the opposite position (that racism doesn’t exist or matter) but the only ground they wanted to give an opponent was to concede the round because your opponent is a race that is more oppressed. Their belief was that it is a waste of time to discuss policies because the real world impact of racism was more important than a theoretical law we were discussing.
I’m not exaggerating, while their Varsity team members had more advanced arguments, at the novice level the debate typically became “vote for us as we are black” and as a whiter-than-white-bread 18-yo college student it was difficult to navigate the debate round without creating harm.
The argument that won us the most rounds was simple:
Debate is not real life. It is a place to learn, try on positions and find out what you believe and your opponents believe so you can be a better advocate in real life.
We talked more about personal stories than policy in those rounds. About the overwhelming number of men in debate at the higher levels and how our school supported, scholarshipped and advanced women in debate. About the arguments we would have in the cafeteria back at school and with our roommates about the issues, terrifying anyone close enough to hear us talk about nuclear war over pizza.
Personally, I talked about how I’d come to college a naive 17-year-old and within a few weeks I was talking to strangers about how the death penalty had deeply problematic and racist roots and how it would better serve justice to abolish it.
Debating for the death penalty in an equal amount of rounds didn’t make me a hypocrite, it won me tournaments and in doing so it taught me to clarify my stance. Since that time I have continued to understand and believe that people commit the most heinous crimes and depraved acts, the death penalty is not the answer.
It’s my personal belief, one that was forged in the practice of debate.
The second part of that argument that won us debates was real life. We spoke about the team raising money for young kids in our community who needed school supplies and clothes, serving at the soup kitchen and advocating for change — not at the political level — with individuals we could influence.
A personal shift
I realized something, after competing in those debates on racism, the real world, and how debate shapes our reality.
No one has a mindset shift thanks to a new law or policy.
Do you think millions of Americans said “oh wow, a woman’s autonomy over her body isn’t something I have control over!” post Roe v Wade or did they simply dig their heels in further and decide that pro-life meant they could kill some abortion doctors? And did anyone change their mind that abortion shouldn’t be a protected right after the Dobbs decision last June? Hint: no.
While I am all for the alignment of laws and policy with our beliefs and values as a nation, we do not change hearts with House Resolutions and omnibus bills.
That work is personal.
Maybe the only thing I still respect Rev. Jerry Falwell for doing is really hearing dissent when he spoke against abortion in the 1980s. Someone at a rally asked him, “don’t you think more women would choose not to get an abortion if more Christians would adopt their babies?”
To his credit, Falwell saw that he could be part of a solution and created a place for women to live through their pregnancies, get medical, emotional and financial support, and work with lawyers to place their children for adoption in good homes. He took his talking point “don’t get an abortion,” saw the larger picture, and created a solution that addressed the needs of women seeking abortion.
Our work is also personal.
It’s talking to the neighbor who screamed, “the media can’t call SHIT about the election!” back on November 9th, she who was in deep denial. And maybe passive-aggressively making Happy Inauguration cupcakes.