OPINION: In a place of majority rule, the minority opinion can and still does matter
Written by Marianne Mansfield
Opinion: A belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.
Survey: A sampling or partial collection of facts, figures or opinions (emphasis added) taken and used to approximate or indicate what a complete collection and analysis might reveal.
Majority: The number larger than half the total.
All three of the above definitions are taken from the website Dictionary.com.
It should come as no surprise to readers of this column that I do not fall into many majorities in this part of the world. I am not a member of the majority religion, nor am I a member/supporter of the majority political party.
After last November’s election, I learned and wrote about what an uphill battle it presents to see opinions held by those of us in the minority at least considered. Since then, I’ve given quite a bit of thought to how to make my voice heard, along with those of my compatriots, in meaningful ways.
Recently, I came across an instrument that, if fully and widely utilized, provides a powerful avenue for our voices to be heard among the majority regarding the future of the state of Utah.
Intrigued yet?
If you haven’t already, take the time to follow the link to the Build Your 2050 Utah web app at envisionutah.org where you will find an interactive survey designed to collect opinions about how the state should look, act, and be in 2050. Be forewarned, however, this isn’t a flashy little 10 question Facebook test which, when completed, will tell you everything from which superhero you most admire to which of the United States you should be inhabiting.
No, the Envision Utah survey is time consuming. I started it last week and quickly realized I needed much more time to respond to the questions carefully and with as much informed thought as I could muster. As of this writing I am still less than half way through it.
The survey queries opinions on 11 different topics which are in play today and certainly will be much more in play in 2050. The topics range from Agriculture to Disaster Resilience. The survey participant begins by ranking the 11 topics by importance to their lives. I’ve had to re-think my rankings at least three times. For instance, as a former educator it felt like a no brainer to put education at the top of my list of eleven. But wait, if we don’t have enough water to drink, or our air quality is so poor we can’t go outside to engage in recreation or use our public lands, or our agriculture system is so broken we can’t get good and healthy food to eat, what then? Then, who cares about education?
When I finally had my rankings arranged, if not to my satisfaction at least to some degree of philosophical comfort, I moved forward to the set of questions regarding my first priority topic. Each topic is preceded by a page of information, as well as links to more in depth data and definitions. Accompanying each set of questions is a dashboard, with gauges and graphs that approximate the impact each response has on related considerations. For example, in the energy section, two of the listed related considerations are carbon emissions and acres of land used. By adjusting your responses to the questions asked, the gauges and graphs are realigned.
Now, I know enough about instrument bias to suspect that there were points in the survey where assumptions were predetermined and that, if they were stated rather than implied, I would likely disagree with at least some of them. Moreover, the questions not asked are often of greater significance than those that are.
Having said that, however, I give the survey credit. It seems well constructed and user friendly, as long as the user is willing to devote the time necessary to work through it.
And there is this: my opinion is being solicited. How the decision makers choose to use the results of the survey may not in any way resemble the opinions I express therein, but at least I was asked. And if I don’t take the time and make the effort to tell the decision makers how I feel, I don’t believe I am entitled to criticize their actions when they are implemented.
As a member of the minority I believe I have an added responsibility to step up to the plate and swing for the bleachers. It is incumbent on me and my fellows to make our opinions heard lest we be drowned out by the din of the majority. And if we let that happen, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
And who knows, there may be areas of agreement that surprise all of us.
Check out the survey. Please. Make sure, though, to allow yourself ample time.
Your opinion matters.
