Open Dialogue and Mediation Could Change the State of the Nation

I recently viewed the PBS POV (Point of View) program documentary "The Fire Next Time," about how extremists with an open mike can incite hatred and hate-crimes in an American town in which people used to agree to disagree. The film also shows the process that conflict resolution expert Melinda Smith used to bring both sides back into open dialogue, the necessary beginning to any possibility of a future resolution to the conflict. There is now hope that this conflict may be resolved. The Q & A on the website about Resolving Community Conflicts is excellent and a must-read for anyone interested in resolving conflicts of any kind.

I posted what follows on their site. I agree that open dialogue and mediation are extremely important in resolving conflicts. The United States could most certainly use this on a national level at this time, due to the divisiveness and hate engendered by some national talk radio hosts and news reporters. As Americans, we used to come together to resolve our differences, to help each other and build our communities and country. Now, it seems like vocal people on the outer extremes of both the left and right are bent on using media outlets to incite hate, instead, which is beginning to tear apart the fabric of our society. Perhaps the majority of moderates who have been drowned out by the few, can come together, find common ground, and speak up to lend a more balanced and cohesive central core through which we can weave a more peaceful resolution to the conflicts in which we currently find ourselves. We could all benefit from learning mediation and conflict resolution strategies.

Here are the links, the first to the documentary, the second to the Q & A:
http://video.pbs.org/video/1239783069/program/1154485580
http://www.pbs.org/pov/thefirenexttime/special_resolving.php

PBS Exposés on Product Defense and Bisphenol-A

This is a link to a PBS Exposé on product defense by reporter Paul Thacker. Once you watch this, you will see how tobacco manufacturers were able to put doubt in people's minds about the dangers of smoking and how Big Oil could cast doubt on Global Warming both using product defense to influence public opinion, policy and environmental law.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/expose/2008/05/111-index.html

Here's the link to the bisphenol-A story entitled Chemical War Zone that shows animal deformities and cancer links to chemical endocrine disrupters.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/expose/2008/05/303-index.html

I find it interesting that both stories name the American Chemical Society as being one party involved, while both stories also show the correlation between misinformation and product defense that allows chemical companies to continue business as usual despite known health risks to consumers and the environment. Nothing like profit, greed and power to influence public health and environmental policies and laws at the expense of health, humanity and the environment.

When you knowingly do all that you can to lie about the safety of a product that causes disease and/or death in its consumers, you should be held culpable. This is at the very least, unethical. However, I truly believe these companies are commiting crimes against humanity. If there are currently no laws on the books to deal with this, there should be - locally, nationally and internationally.