“Come on people now/ smile on your brother/ everybody get together/ try to love one another right now.” — The Youngbloods, 1967
If ever there was a time to get together! We will never nor should we strive to agree on everything; debate and compromise always bring better solutions than one world view (or one individual ego!) acting without restraint. But for the sake of our noble experiment in democracy we must agree on this: we have more in common than we have differences, we must respect each other’s views and find compromise solutions.
My conservative friends believe that progressives have irreconcilably divided our nation because we make it impossible to achieve their vision of an ideal nation. I disagree. I believe our current polarization took a huge upward spike when people like Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh claimed progressives hated their country and wanted to destroy it, calling forth emotions – hate, fear, anger — which subsume rationality and critical thinking.
Whatever the reasons for our division, to continue the American experiment we must move beyond the blame game that has created conditions where one person’s whims can drag all of us into an ill-advised illegal war, threaten election integrity or utilize public office to build personal wealth.
Congress refuses to act. The courts are inconsistent. The damage will end only when enough of us agree that we no longer consent to be governed by delusion and deceit.
Can we please get together?
Keith Porter
Grass Valley