Democrats must practice unity to mend America

Photo source: opb.org

Despite Democrat’s jubilation following the election victory of Joe Biden, a larger, more prominent issue of resentment still remains prominent between the left and the right. Liberals need to put the words of Biden into practice if they wish to mend the tension plaguing the American people. 

**For the sake of full transparency and the identification of bias, I am a Democrat and I voted for Joe Biden**

Regardless of your political views, no one can reasonably deny the fact that the Trump administration has changed the socio-political constructs of American society. A deepening divide between conservatives and liberals, one that’s been steadily growing since the Clinton administration, was blown wide open thanks in part to President Trump’s repeated bullish and arrogant response to social issues regarding race, violence, immigration and healthcare.

After a grueling election week, not only for the presidential candidates, but for the country and world as large, Biden was named victorious and addressed the country in an overwhelmingly optimistic acceptance speech. “I am humbled by the trust and confidence you have placed in me. I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify. [One] who doesn’t see red and blue states, but a United States,” he declared. 

A fantastic compilation of words, the speech was just that - words. For many conservatives watching at home, there no doubt remained a vivid aura of skepticism regarding the President-elect’s speech. 

For months the left has increasingly used emotionally-charged rhetoric and hate-fueled name calling to condemn both die-hard and casual Trump supporters. It’s ironic really, that die-hard liberals resort to such petty tactics given that a lot of the criticism towards Trump has been in regard to his childish insults and false labeling of his political opponents. It's cliche, but two wrongs do not make a right, even when it comes to condemning racism and homophobia.

If Biden supporters (myself included) really want a return to ‘normalcy,’ or at the very least a life that doesn’t involve ridiculous uncertainty regarding politics and apparent conflict between the left and right, then they need to put to practice the President-elects intent to unify the country. After all, the President is just one man. It doesn’t, and shouldn’t, all rest on his shoulders.

Unification looks like a country that doesn’t resort to preemptive labeling in response to disagreements or different political perspectives. 

Unification looks like a country that is open to discussion and compromise rather than an emotionally-fueled refusal to interact, either digitally or in-person. 

Unification looks like a country that understands that everyone holds their own beliefs due to their own life experiences, trials and tribulations, and acknowledges the fact that through education or conversation, these beliefs can in fact be changed. 

If you’re going to ridicule and guilt-shame a voter base that tallied the second highest vote count in the country’s history, then don’t be surprised when those actions feed resentment. If you are really that quick to label over 70 million voters as homophobic, racist bigots, then you are doing yourself a grand disservice by not applying any degree of critical thinking. 

Former presidential-hopeful Andrew Yang tweeted a statement with similar sentiment on Thursday, saying “If 68 million people do something it’s vital that we understand it.” The first comment shown in response states “...Why is that on you or any minority to understand[?]” 

My critique to this response would be that it's an inherent responsibility as a progressive-minded American to understand it. How can you change something which you don’t understand? If I wanted to make changes to the judicial system, I should probably have a good understanding of law. If I wanted to engineer a more efficient space rocket, I would have to harbor a great understanding of how rockets work. 

The western world has experienced large-scale guilt shaming before. How did it end? 

The Nazis. The Holocaust. The Iron Curtain. Britain, France and the United States’ adamant intent to punish Germany following World War I did little to prevent hardship or injustice from occurring throughout Western civilization.  

The Spanish Flu still ravaged the globe, The Great Depression still pulled millions into poverty, and all in all the heavy punishment imposed upon Germany fueled enough long-term resentment among its citizens that they became idle when the door opened for Hitler and the Nazis to implement extremely discriminatory measures prior to World War II.  

After our country’s most devastating war from an ideological perspective, the Civil War, major efforts went into rebuilding the war-torn South. Reconstruction exemplified the unity that the states were supposed to maintain despite the fact that 11 of them attempted, and nearly succeeded, in seceding. Abraham Lincoln even laid out a plan prior to his assassination that called for the pardons of multiple Confederate leaders minus the ones who had committed what were considered war crimes at the time. Yes, white plantation owners in the south were still racists, but they were also still Americans. It’s an uncomfortable notion, and it’s difficult to wrap our head around by today’s standards, but unity doesn’t come easily, especially in a country with free speech, and a country that was partially founded on the backbone of slavery and discrimination.  

For the sake of democracy and the future of our country, one that truly is great due to its ability to change and adapt, be willing to be empathetic and listen, even if you vehemently disagree with one’s political beliefs. Furthermore, calling into question voters’ intelligence only instigates more hate. You can’t expect conservatives to act warmly towards someone who is blatantly calling them stupid. That’s not how humans work, despite liberals' clear notion that they are in the right (even if this is the truth). 

Put simply, unity is tougher to epitomize than hatred. It’s easy to dismiss others as being backwards, racist, homophobic, idiotic. What’s difficult, and additionally more conducive to societal cohesiveness, is listening without reacting.  

Many Biden voters reading this are likely rebutting me internally, thinking that conservatives by and large spew more hatred than liberals. This may be true. The matter of fact is that there are racist connotations with being conservsative, and Trump did nothing to quell those assumptions, he did the complete opposite; However, like the old saying goes, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” 

Most of us learned the golden rule at some point in our education. It states, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Yes, it sounds superficial, and life is more complex than a simple slogan or saying, but there is truth in the notion that hate only creates more hate. Life may be more complex, but treating others with compassion or at the very least some degree of empathy is not rocket science. 

To be frank, I think Trump is an over-privileged narcissist. His actions, and his words, both disregard the struggle of black and minority populations in this country and enable right-wing supremacist groups. With this being said, I refuse to believe that over 70 million Americans share the exact same personal qualities that Trump displays. Some do, but many do not. On the flip side, I try my best in refusing to believe that I maintain any degree of moral high ground over anyone who voted for Trump. I sometimes fail to remember the fact that just because I think something is true doesn’t mean it is. 

This article is a perfect example, and that is the point I am trying to make - You can disagree, and that’s okay - I may not be right. You can react and message me stating that I miss the point, but to say that is identifying there is only one truth, one point, or a singular belief that trumps (no pun intended) all others. That’s not how you unify, that is how you divide. 

There is, however, one truth which I firmly believe in: It’s impossible to change minds and alter beliefs through shaming or guilting others into coercion. 

An article was published by LinkedIn News this morning that echoed a similar notion. Titled, “How to navigate difficult conversations” the article suggests that the best way to undergo difficult conversations is through a practice deemed ‘conversational receptiveness.’ It’s essentially another term for active listening and attempting to understand another’s argument, even if you disagree with it on a fundamental level. Conversational receptiveness is what helps people navigate those brutal Thanksgiving dinners and family get-togethers with extended relatives who share vastly differing opinions. 

On a larger scale, it is a method by which the far left and far right can at least attempt to occasionally meet in the middle for the sake of moving forward. If this can’t be achieved then everyone loses. A perfect example is what is currently happening in the Senate. Democrats and Republicans continuously appear unable to come to an agreement on a stimulus package to soften the harsh effects of COVID-19, and, because of their stubbornness, nothing has passed. No one wins.      

Yang made another poignant tweet on Saturday once the election was called in favor of Biden. He said “The fact that this was even somewhat close should cause great concern.” Indeed it is concerning. I’m not condoning any form of racism, homophobia, or denying that white privilege exists. What I am saying is that there is an obvious disconnect among the citizens of this country, and the concern that Yang refers to is only going to develop into full-fledged fear unless we address it. We can’t afford to label, to demonize, and frankly, to stoop to the same level of Trump. 

Biden celebrated his victory as a victory for “We the People.” His voter base must remember that ‘the People’ also includes those citizens who disagree with their values, and those who voted for Trump. If Democrats can’t realize this, we will be in the same emotionally-charged situation in 2024, and given what is at stake, no one wants that.  

You can’t have real unity without accepting the responsibility to do just that - unify. It’s a verb, and is a task we all must take responsibility in accomplishing.