Divided nation needs to expand and update shared values to find common ground again

Americans are not agreeing on what, if any, our shared values are. We seem adrift, apathetic as a nation. Three core beliefs — love of family, love of God, and love of country — that have been regularly measured throughout history now reveal a big difference in importance of these values among groups.

Some may see this as a cultural breakdown, but perhaps it is an opportunity to expand and re-invigorate our culture by incorporating some modern concepts into the context of older traditions.

For example, “family” is being re-defined as a group of people, not necessarily blood relatives, who closely surround an individual. Like family, the group protects but also makes demands of responsibility and accountability. It is belonging that makes the difference.

Another example, “religion”may now just be the feeling that there is something bigger than oneself that we turn to for comfort and spiritual direction. Belonging to a spiritual group is healing.

Lastly, “patriotism” is not nationalism, but simply a sense of knowing there is something worthwhile about living in the United States and wanting to protect it, improve it and belong to it.

I believe that broadening the definitions serves as a path to attract and engage the disillusioned among us. Engagement will no doubt be incremental, and must be mutually respectful if one hopes to build the relationships and consensus needed to coalesce around enduring cultural ideas. We are still a young, flexible country, and we have already shown how quickly we can broaden our understanding and change our perspectives. When we broaden definitions and positions while maintaining cultural acceptance, we can begin building solidarity among groups.

Let’s take the topical example of “equity” and its relation to our founding concept of equality of opportunity. This modern concept of “equity” should not be confused with other agenda advocacy terms such as diversity or identity. It is a useful term only when defined and applied objectively. While equality is overarchingly desirable for us as a nation, it isn’t really achievable without first applying the concept of equity.

To explain: We have thought that if we set the table, everyone could eat. And most of us can. But some may not be able to reach the food, or they may not have a way to get to the table in the first place. Equality is not a reality for them (they didn’t get the opportunity to eat) because there is no adjustment for fairness. (Think of a sports handicap: it is an adjustment for fairness in a competition.) The underlying concept of equity is the concept of fairness, and may not be “equal” even though it equalizes.

Some people are born vulnerable: They have no family structure that embraces and secures them. This is a horrific setup for a life of disadvantage, insecurity, disconnection, and distrust.

Some people become vulnerable because they lose the means to support themselves and a family. It doesn’t take much, and if there is no support and no safety net, the result too often is a downward spiral into homelessness and maybe drug addiction and jail time. We see it every day. As a nation, we have tried to help the vulnerable, but we have not provided pathways out of dependency, which is why the cycle repeats itself.

Equality of opportunity can become reality only when equity levels the playing field. To expect people to coalesce into community we must very creatively alter the game plan so that all players have enough trust in each other to want to participate, to contribute their abilities, and even to risk a shot at goal. Harder for some, yes, but we get surprised all the time by the resilience of the human spirit when it trusts itself enough to hope. A person will contribute so much more when that person is recognized as having value. And it is contribution that builds community.

To make those measurements tell a different story, to replace apathy with a sense of belonging, we must broaden the definitions of our values to make them relevant to the needs and expectations of a wider community.