During his appearance this past January as part of a five-person panel providing a “Sneak Peak” of the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference, WDET Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson spoke disparagingly of Nolan Finley, editorial page editor of The Detroit News. Repeatedly. [1-4]
Every so often he’d look out into the crowd consipiratorially, as if to suggest it obvious that nothing written by Mr Finley was worth reading. Awkward, like any of the felt-too-close-to-the-truth-to-come-across-as-engagingly-funny verbal jabs by Cher during any given segment of The Sonny and Cher Show — during its single season after the couple bitterly divorced. [5]
Nolan Finley was not in attendance.
But the two men would be together four months later on Mackinac Island to discuss progress on something called “Detroit Civility Project.” Billed as “a laboratory for civility,” they described it to a smaller attendee group on the island today as “a way of getting to know one another outside the lens of political differences.” Kickoff took place during the February Detroit Policy Conference. [6-8]
Three key areas of incompatibility form the core of what is considered to match would-be adversaries through an online form that appears to be open for new registrations through July 1, 2019.
- Age (with seven brackets offered)
- Race / Ethnicity (Asian/Pacific Islander, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Middle Eastern or American Indian, White, Other)
- Political Affiliation (Conservative or Liberal)
Of these, only the last includes explanation.
We understand individuals may consider themselves as moderate or independent, but for the purpose of match making, please choose the affiliation that most closely aligns with your views.
As a theme here, “civility” is argued as far more than a nicety; whether seen against other states or against increasing global competition, it is a necessity — a matter of survival. Just before lunch today, members of the Michigan Congressional delegation held a press conference to discuss the substance of bipartisanship in their legislative endeavors.
Senator Debbie Stabenow mentioned at one point how our state lost important influence in Armed Services with the 2015 retirement of Michigan Senator Carl Levin. She and fellow Democratic Senator Gary Peters will share the stage with Congressman Paul Mitchell, a Michigan Republican in a moderated panel titled, “One Michigan: Working Across the Aisle.” [9-13]
And late today, United States Representatives Debbie Dingell and Fred Upton took to the main theatre stage in the Grand Hotel for “A Discussion on National Civility.” [14-17]
The bulk of the “Civility Project” presentation, proper, by Messrs Finley and Henderson this morning involved calling individuals to the microphone from one or both sides of established Detroit Regional Chamber matches. The value wasn’t so much in the surprise of any particular “success story” against certain anticipated odds, as it was in the detailed vignettes of exactly how such ends came about. [18]
At present, this appears to be very much focused on face-to-face reconsiliations and relationship building. Somewhere above an option for dealing with marital strife, not something that appears scalable to value in bring larger inter-disciplinary rivals together. [19-20]
But it’s definitely something that otherwise contentious factions within local communities could benefit from considering as an option for coming together to advance realized common interests.
See Flickr feed for additional Saline Journal images from 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference.
References
- “Mackinac Policy Conference provided its last ‘sneak peek’ of the event where Michigan futures will be set in 2019” Dell Deaton (January 30, 2019) Saline Journal.
- “2019 Mackinac Policy Conference” Detroit Regional Chamber.
- “Stephen Henderson” WDET 101.9 FM.
- “Nolan Finley” The Detroit News.
- “The Sonny and Cher Show” IMDb.
- “Detroit Civility Project” Detroit Regional Chamber.
- “Detroit Policy Conference” Detroit Regional Chamber.
- “Detroit Civility Project | One Detroit Clip” Detroit Public TV (May 9, 2019) YouTube.
- Debbie Stabenow: Made in Michigan (home page).
- “United States Senate Committee on Armed Services” United States Senate.
- “Levin, Carl” Biographical Directory of the United States Senate.
- Gary Peters: United States Senator for Michigan (home page).
- “Congressman Paul Mitchell” United States House of Representatives.
- “United States Congresswoman Debbie Dingell” United States House of Representatives.
- “Congessman Fred Upton” United States House of Representatives.
- “Column: Bipartisanship a 2018 priority” Fred Upton (January 6, 2018) The Detroit News.
- Grand Hotel (home page).
- Detroit Regional Chamber (home page).
- “‘Games Divorced People Play’ Can Help Marriages as Well as Divorces” Dell Deaton (November 19, 2009) Saline Journal.
- “As 2020 Michigan budget process draws to close, Representative Rebekah Warren explained her priorities to constituents” Dell Deaton (May 22, 2019) Saline Journal.
- Dell Deaton (Flickr feed).
