Van Jones’ Beyond the Messy Truth – How We Came Apart-How We Come Together Kicks Starts 2019
So last year I reached what I thought was an unreachable Reading Challenge goal of reading 65 books. At some point in the next week or two I will recap what I read and how those books fit into my various sub-Reading Challenges! Additionally, I will be creating and writing about my 2019 Reading Challenges.
However, let’s get started by writing about what I have already read in 2019. As well as, the books that I plan to read in January.
Beyond the Messy Truth – How we Came Apart – How We Come Together
First the first book I finished, actually on the first day of January, was Van Jones’ Beyond the Messy Truth – How we Came Apart – How We Come Together
I think Van Jones gets it and presents some really good ideas in this book. His overriding thought is that our divided country needs to take a step back and start to find common ground.
In Beyond the Messy Truth Jones presents open letters to both Liberals and Conservatives outlining many things that they get right and those they get wrong. I will say many of his points made me stop and think about my actions toward some conservatives.
He presents examples of policy areas where liberals and conservatives can come together for the common good. In these chapters he discusses the policy initiatives led by the unlikely duo of conservative Orrin Hatch and Liberal Ted Kennedy!
The Duality of The Founding of America
A highlight for me were his statements about the duality found in the founding of our country
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF this country, America has been two things, not one. We have our founding reality and our founding dream. And the two are not the same.
The founding reality is that there were around when our country was founded. Those realities included slavery and the fact that it was founded by rich white males. But there was also a founding dream. The Declaration of Independence best says that dream, when it states that “all men are created equal’
At our best, our mission is simple. For more than two centuries, we have been working to close the gap between the ugliness of our founding reality and the beauty of our founding dream. Each generation tries to narrow that gap a little bit more than the last one did.
We need to be guided by both our conservative values coupled with our progressive principles to close that gap.
The Bottom Line
I believe that his book should be passed out to everyone working in Congress and the White House. It should also be read by anyone who is concerned about shrinking the divide between conservatives and liberals . Uh, which should be basically everybody!!
Two Opposites Have Praise for Beyond the Messy Truth!
Here’s what two people with divergent opinions on just about everything have to say about Beyond the Messy Truth….
“Van Jones is a light in the darkness when we need it most. Beyond the Messy Truth breaks with the tribalism of today’s politics and offers us a way forward. In the tradition of the great bridge builders of our past, Van’s love for this country and all its people shines through.” —CORY BOOKER, U.S. senator, New Jersey
“If I say I’m actually friends with Van Jones, will that cause conservatives to read the book or just cause progressives not to? I hope they all read it—I disagree with Van on just about everything, but I respect him for being authentic in his convictions and for having the ability to articulate them forcefully but fairly.” —MIKE HUCKABEE, former governor of Arkansas and Republican presidential candidate.
Find It Read It, Think about It and Act!
Links for Further Exploration of Van Jones
So how good would a post be about coming together without “Get Together by The Youngbloods