The political climate is indeed divisive, as evidenced in our conversations, the media and our letters to the editor. Perhaps one way to temper this divide is to first seek commonalities in terms of our visions of how caring and respect should be evident in our interactions with each other.
Anne Frank wrote that “how wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Although questions such as the proper role of the government will always spawn a diversity of opinions, this quote could have the potential to shift our dialogue from confrontation to cooperation. By first actively seeking areas of agreement based on our core values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness rather than hot-button issues where battle lines have already been rigidly formed, maybe we can begin to heal our self-inflicted wounds.
Maybe, too, our elected officials might get the message that we are ready to focus on working together to build a better society rather than always looking for points of ideological conflict.
James A. Bernauer
Crafton