Gregory Freeman: When It Comes To The Basics, Most Of Us Agree. P-D 5/16/1997

Headline: WHEN IT COMES TO THE BASICS, MOST OF US AGREE
Reporter: By Gregory Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Tue., May 13, 1997
Section: NEWS, Page: 1B, Edition: FIVE STAR LIFT

WHEN I started writing this column a few years ago, an editor suggested the name "A Different View."
I disliked the name, as did other editors. To me it suggested that the opinions that I would express in the column would be different from other opinions, presumably because I am black. Indeed, some of my opinions do differ from those of some whites, and my opinions are sometimes colored by my race. I know, for instance, that my view of affirmative action - that it is a good concept that should be fine-tuned but continued - is based, at least partly, on the fact that I'm an African-American. I can see the good things that have resulted from it.
I'm not so sure that I could necessarily see those things if I were white.

Still, there are many issues that blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics and others can and do agree upon. So "A Different View" seemed rather inappropriate.
That name didn't stick, thank goodness. I wasn't thrilled with the name the column was eventually given - "Urban View" - but it was head and shoulders above "A Different View." (I was eventually able to get the editors here to drop the name altogether. I thought "Urban View" was too limiting.)

In our nation, we're often quick to jump to the conclusion that we have nothing in common with someone of a different race or religion. We're sometimes quick to believe that we couldn't possibly get along with someone different from us. What could we possibly have in common, we ask ourselves.

The truth is, we probably have more in common than we realize.
Most people, for instance, want good schools for their kids. They want their youngsters to get the best education possible. That's the case regardless of color or religion.
Most folks, when given the choice, would live in neighborhoods that are quiet and safe. Again, neither race nor religion makes a difference in that area.

Last year, the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research gathered polls and census data taken between 1990 and 1995 that pointed out that while we may differ in our political beliefs, our basic values aren't that different at all.
The Roper Center used information from 17 polling sources, including the Gallup Organization, the CBS News/New York Times Poll, The ABC News/Washington Post Poll, the Yankelovich Partners Poll, the Louis Harris and Associates Poll and many others.

The similarities between blacks and whites were striking.

Asked if marijuana should be made legal, for instance, 70 percent of blacks said no, while 73 percent of whites said the same.
When asked about welfare reform (the survey was taken before last year's welfare bill had passed), 75 percent of blacks surveyed believed the welfare system should be overhauled; 84 percent of whites agreed.
The same was the case with Medicare reform, where 60 percent of the blacks polled favored it and 57 percent of whites agreed.
When it came to personal income taxes, there was agreement again: 52 percent of blacks felt strongly that Congress should cut personal income taxes, and 54 percent of whites agreed.
Asked whether white and black students should go to the same schools or to separate schools, 93 percent of blacks and 91 percent of whites said same schools.

We have some differences, of course.
   On some issues there was clear disagreement, such as impressions of the criminal justice system. Here, 71 percent of blacks believed the system to be biased against blacks vs. 30 percent of whites polled who felt that way. Those differences may be explained by the way that blacks and whites have often been treated differently by the system.
   Indeed, our opinions on many issues are based on our own personal experiences, and there are likely to be differences among us when it comes to those.
   There may be other differences. Our choices in music may differ, for instance, or our preferences in television programs.

But overall, the research shows that we have much more in common than we have differences.
Some of us spend so much time and effort hating one another that we're not able to see the many things that we do have in common.
If we can get beyond the superficial differences of race and religion, we can begin to work together constructively on the problems we all face.

Sometimes the "different view" that we assume others have may not be quite that different after all.

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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