Politicians don’t see the shades of gray

It used to be said that death and taxes were absolute. Neither could be avoided. However, the executives at Enron, during that scandal years ago, figured out how to avoid the taxes on their incomes — leaving death the only absolute.

However, taxes are once again absolute — or at least the political position on taxes is absolute — to the Americans for Tax Reform (and their spokesman, Grover Norquist) and their lackeys in the Republican and Tea Parties. Because these politicians fear the Americans for Tax Reform threat to mount or support primary competitors for their jobs if they “compromise,” the politicians are being absolute in their opposition to tax reform.

Even the Democrats’ position on taxes is absolute to counterbalance the intransigence of their opponents’ position. Thus, this absoluteness in ideology has caused this congressional impasse.

Someone should tell the politicians that their belief in absolutes and their blaming their opponents for this impasse is childish. As I clinical psychologist, I explain to my counseling clients that children think in simplistic absolutes: either/or, right/wrong, black/white. Children have to “prove” they are “right.” Children blame others when “caught” doing something “wrong.” Developmentally, that is all children are capable of.

Mature adults, however, know there many shades of gray between black and white and there is 99 percent between 0 percent and 100 percent. (Perhaps the Occupiers’ “99 percent” idea can represent that concept as well.) Mature adults avoid “right/wrong,” “win/lose” positions. Mature adults utilize “win/win” strategies to resolve conflict. Mature adults negotiate and compromise to reach resolution on an issue. It’s too bad the politicians are not mature adults.

Perhaps for that reason, with all its implications, we should “throw the bums out.”

Jean M Alberti

Glen Ellyn