Munro offers Rotarians path to political healing

Flynn's Harp Business Politics

Mike Flynn

Wednesday, 09 November 2016

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As a deeply divided nation ponders the painful post-election path to healing, former secretary of state Ralph Munro, one of the state's most respected elected officials for two decades, offered the thought that the past outreach to other nations needs to become an outreach within our nation.


	Ralph Munro

"Here in Seattle, a thriving world-trade community, we have rightly developed sister-cities, sister ports and friendly relations with places like Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai," offered Munro, who in five terms as secretary of state espoused close ties to those places, as well as Russia and even North Korea.

But in comments the day after election to Seattle Rotary, Munro noted. "Those are all well and good, but perhaps it's time we reached out to places like Gary, Indiana, flint , Michigan and Youngstown, Ohio, places where people haven't had decent jobs in the last decade."

"Those are places that have been totally left behind in our quest for cheaper manufacturing and world trade," he added. "What can we do to help them find their place in this new economy."

"There is no question that if our country is going to prosper and grow, we must build friendships and relationships across the aisle, across the bridge, across the lake, across the mountains and across the county," Munro offered. "Isolating ourselves in a cacoon of similar beliefs will only make matters worse."

As an aside, I have to interject that Munro obviously agrees with my belief that communities that are entirely red or entirely blue do indeed represent ideological cacoons where "true believers" despise discourse.

Munro, a moderate Republican who said he "did not vote for either of the leading candidates,"
told the Rotarians: "As the old saying goes, to the victor go the spoils. But I am not sure what spoils will be left when we still have a deeply divided country and two major political parties that are each split down the middle in philosophy and belief."

But he added: "in 72 days we will inaugurate the ultimate unconventional candidate. We pray for his success."

Munro, in closing his comments to the Rotarians, posed the question: "So what can we do as Rotarians as we move into the next era of American politics? We need to serve as the forum for civil discourse in every community across the land...we must remain totally nonpartisan but our microphones should be open to public debate on the issues se face as a nation."

A commitment to the same future step needs to be made by every organization that hopes healing replaces discord in the political process.

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About the author

Mike Flynn

Over the 24 years that Mike Flynn guided Puget Sound Business Journal as its president and publisher, it became one of the nation’s most respected local business newspapers, being named “best” among the publications owned by the largest chain of weekly business newspapers during his last year as publisher. In addition it was regarded by its peers as one of the five best business-news publications in the county in terms of editorial quality.