For the past several months, Facebook has been filled with political posts – one after another. “I can’t understand how anyone in their right mind would vote for Trump.” “You would have to be an idiot to vote for Biden.” These two people argue back and forth, growing in anger and changing zero opinions. The truth is, I can easily list 10 solid fact-based reasons to vote for Trump and 10 fact-based reasons to vote for Biden. I could also easily provide 10 reasons not to vote for Trump and 10 more not to vote for Biden. I could do this for you now, but it would bore you to death. Most of the debates come squarely back to political affiliation. Republicans ignore Trump’s behavior because they like his policies. Democrats hated Trump’s behavior and liked Biden’s policies.
Over 161 million Americans voted in this year’s election, a record turnout (by numbers, not percentage of voters) in this country. Biden had more votes as president than anyone in history. Trump has the second most in history, actually garnering more votes than in his 2016 victory. Of those millions of votes cast, this election was decided by 20,000 votes in Wisconsin, 14,000 votes in Arizona, 13,000 votes in Georgia, 36,000 votes in Nevada and 45,000 votes in Pennsylvania. This may sound like a lot, but these differences are razor thin.
My point is that we are a divided country. The election might be over, but these differences still exist. You can see it in the post-election rhetoric. “This election was stolen.” “You are a poor sport. It’s over.” Kid Rock wrote a song many years ago with these lyrics, “They’re screaming on the left, yelling on the right. I’m sitting in the middle trying to live my life.”
The solution can come from the top. I like Biden’s overall message of unity. “I am a proud democrat, but I will govern as an American president.” In four years, Trump never made such a statement. However, the biggest healing has to come from ordinary citizens like you and me. We need to:
- Turn down the rhetoric and the hate.
- Ask questions instead of assuming the other person is an idiot.
- Listen with the intent of understanding, instead of winning the argument.
- Breathe, smile, laugh, turn off your phone…
Your Turn: If you want unity and our country to heal, what do you think is most important?
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I think agreement between sides and working out the issues together would allow the country to heal.
For the country to truly get better we need to put aside our differences in choices and opinions and focus on the things that really matter.
I think that we need to stopping fight as two different sides and come together to fight for what we all want.
I believe for our country to “heal” we need to acknowledge people’s differences and celebrate them with respect, as we are all Americans and human beings.
To be more unified as a country we just need to stop willingly ignorant. We should always be willing to hear out and contemplate the other person opinion. We should also be less selfish and consider another persons needs before making decisions.
we need to acknowledge everybody’s oppinion and care about all
We can’t have unity until we can all talk and listen to each other.
I feel like for the country to truly get better we need to put aside our differences in choices and opinions and focus on the things that really matter.
I think honesty and action in following our nation’s laws and constitution. If we want to be unified we need to be able to have trust that the other is being honest and upfront with their actions. Agreement can only get us so far.
i think what is most important is we need both sides to come together and work together to become unified.
I believe if both sides could just work together and they weren’t so divided the country would be an all out better place
I think it is most important to understand each other’s different ideas, and have a sense of democracy when decisions are made with input from all sides.
I think no matter what happens with any political situation, that the right decision is made and it is made completely fair.
A general understanding that there is now ay to change some people’s minds. And no matter what people will disagree on anything and everything. The only thing you can change is how you handle people thinking differently from yourself. Respect them and vice versa. No riots, just put up with one another
I think that the most important thing is that we all respect each others opinions
I think the most important is to make sure everyone knows that there safe and almost have a brotherhood unity across the country
I feel like for the country to truly get better we need to put aside our differences in choices and opinions and focus on the things that really matter.
For the country to get better everybody has to come together and find common ground.
I think listening to each other will be a better than arguing and causing chaos
We need to understand each other. Without being able to hear the other side and finding a middle ground we won’t be United.
To have unity people need to respect each other’s opinions even if they don’t agree.
I think everybody just needs to respect each other.
I think it is important for us to respect one another and stop the hate.
I believe that listening is the most important thing because it seems like now it’s not a conversation—people are just waiting for their turn to talk without keeping an open mind.
I think the unity between both sides could help this country heal(ain’t gonna happen though)
I think that if we want the country to heal them we need to stop fighting each other and come together.
I think it is inportant to actually listen to one another and not demonize one another in order to provide some sort of unity.
I think that it is important to not demonize one another and to not make things personal when taking action to bring in pity to the country.
I think if the tow sides come together we could make the right choices and help tons of people. But sadly that’s not how they want. To work
I think everyone accepting everyone’s ideas is most important.
For the country to get better everybody has to come together and find common ground.
It’s most important to actually listen to what the other person is saying and not just saying your own opinion
To be a unified country we have to realize the problems and how to solve them without such division.
People need to learn to agree to disagree. Not everyone will feel the same way about issues, and people need to learn to respect that.
Everybody has their own likes and dislikes with these kind of situations so we all need to learn how to except each other’s thoughts and feelings towards these situations and just move on
I believe that both sides need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Either way, there’s going to be one side that’s upset by the results. I agree that all the negativity towards each other is unnecessary and needs to be stopped, however this likely will never happen. Solving this political division requires willingness from both sides.
I think it is important for us to respect one another and stop the hate.
I think that if we want unity we need to step back and acknowledge that everything isn’t a matter of politics. Once we realize that a issue shouldn’t be decided by two political parties hopefully we can break down “political party walls” come together as one human race as we should. As a human there are topics that should concern EVERYONE.
For our country to heal and have unity i feel like both parties need to have agreements on issues at hand so we have more people trying to solve our problem at once instead of one side postponing the process of the other.
I believe for our country to “heal” we need to acknowledge people’s differences and celebrate them with respect, as we are all Americans and human beings
I believe for our country to “heal” we need to acknowledge people’s differences and treat others with respect, as we are all Americans and human beings.
I think for this country to “heal” we need everything not focused on politics. Every day sports or even tv shows are collided with politics. We need these groups rioting and burning buildings for “unity” to stop and become one with us to heal
i think people need to come together in unity to fix our country problems.
The two sides need to find a common understanding and stop arguing like children all the time. Put aside there differences and do what’s best for the country.
Of coarse they can still disagree with each other, but we need to be respectful of each sides opinions.