With all the chaos and background noise of our partisan times, it can be difficult to discern the facts when watching the news. So, how can we, as citizens, control the way we consume and discuss political news with those around us? Guest speaker Gary Midkiff was live on Zoom with the Aurora Public Library District (APLD) Tuesday, Oct. 6, to provide Aurora with helpful tips on how we can all play our parts.
Midkiff is a Buffalo Grove resident in northern Illinois. He is an author, foreign policy analyst, American History teacher, and an editor of his own newsletter, The View from My Balcony. Gary’s interest in political science and foreign policy began during his time at the University of Chicago.
“The goals of my work are to make people challenge their own assumptions,” said Midkiff on his website, “and help people understand that only by admitting they may be wrong will they truly listen to opposed opinions.” Midkiff shared some insight into his methods for obtaining news stories, hearing all sides, drawing researched conclusions, and discussing those conclusions with others.
Calm, collected, and concise, Gary spoke about and suggested wonderful tips to introduce into our own lives so that we might be calm, collected and concise, as well. “I don’t watch the news, I haven’t watched television in 11 years,” he said that evening, suggesting the removal of politicians yelling at him and news anchors or authority figures telling him how to interpret events has led him to a more relaxing life. Instead, Midkiff advised listeners to read their news and obtain the same story from multiple outlets, allowing them to arrive at an understanding of an event on their own. He proposed the radical idea of letting others finish speaking before replying.
These are just a few of Midkiff’s strategies which foster inclusivity and openness among society. Gary’s presentation is available for public viewing on the Aurora Public Library District’s YouTube channel, or at aurorapubliclibrary.org/virtual-programs; here you can learn more healthy ways for approaching hot button topics next time you are with friends or family. You can search for, and attend more events such as this one in the future by checking out aurorapubliclibrary.org/events.
Andrew Muñoz is communications coordinator at the Aurora Public Library.