Community engagment ideas

 

Present facts and ask readers questions, instead of coming to conclusions and making value judgments for them.

I agree with most, if not all, of your points. But people are more likely to be receptive to these ideas if you encourage them to do their own research and come to their own conclusions.

Several times throughout the essay you express value judgments by referring to various things as “morally reprehensible.” While I may agree with you on that value judgment, I think that approach isn’t conducive to having people engage with you on these issues.

Also, expressions of value judgments may work for people in power who seek to encourage or discourage ideas and behaviors by referring to them as “unacceptable” or “morally reprehensible” and so on.

But for folk such as you and myself and others who are communicating with people we don’t have power over, it makes more sense to show a lot of respect for their ability to form their own opinions. Don’t get me wrong. That’s not the same thing as agreeing with someone.

Also, have you read and re-read this essay so as to revise it ? In my opinion, some passages involve a clutter of words.

And finally—for now–don’t quit. Keep writing. As the saying goes, there is seldom good writing in the world; what there is instead is good re-writing.