The College Fix

OPINION: Panel discussion leans into identity politics instead of finding common ground on preservation

A University of Washington panel on “land based healing” illustrates the messaging problem modern-day liberals have when it comes to finding common ground.

The “Northwest Nature and Health Symposium” included “diverse voices and emerging insights on a multitude of topics including environmental justice” and “greening carceral environments,” according to The Daily.

Attendees learned about “decolonial work” and the panel took on a decidedly DEI-focused angle.

“We acknowledge that Western science and outdoor recreation have historically excluded many voices, leaving critical gaps in our collective understanding of nature and the ways different communities engage with it,” three of the organizers stated, according to the student newspaper.

“To help shift this narrative, we intentionally invite speakers who bring diverse cultural perspectives, lived experiences, and ways of knowing,” they wrote. So-called “Indigenous ways of knowing” posit tribal tales as akin to scientific research and actual truth.

It is unfortunate the panel decided to take a liberal view of important topics such as food sourcing and land use, because there is a great opportunity for Left and Right to come together on some of these issues. However, conservative voices will not be heard while the panel focuses on DEI topics like land acknowledgement statements and frequent talk of “decolonial work.”

The “Make America Health Again” movement, or “MAHA,” is a good example of Left and Right coming together on shared goals. Linked closely to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the movement focuses on healthier foods, environmental sustainability, and skepticism of Big Pharma and the medical establishment.

Regenerative agriculture, the idea that farming should be a cycle that does not strip the land and overload it with chemicals, is also a popular goal of the MAHA movement.

Proponents of MAHA might support things like organic farming, getting synthetic dyes out of children’s cereals, and promoting grass-fed livestock.

Astute readers will find the movement is similar to the “Crunchy Cons” described by Rod Dreher in his book of the same name.

Many young conservatives, particularly moms, are interested in clean eating and sustainability. This is illustrated well in the popularity of commentator Alex Clark’s show. Topics on her show include getting away from toxic materials, eating grass-feed meat, and farming. Yet she is not a liberal – her show is backed by conservative group Turning Point USA.

The Left and Right have an opportunity to find common, toxin-free ground on environmental and food issues. But we first have to find a common language.

MORE: Yale dean emails everyone anti-Trump email – ‘I know you share my concern’

IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: A woman meditates in nature; Shu Lei/Pexels

Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter