It’s weeks into the Biden presidency and to no surprise, Americans are unsure on how to unite with each other. While Joe Biden handles congressional unity, the American people must deal with the social effects of the Trump presidency. We don’t want to be a divided country of red and blue states. But we also don’t want to unite with racist, homophobic, sexist, anti-semetic people, like those who stormed the Capitol. So what do we do?
This will remain a hard question to answer. But lucky for us, there are a lot of people in our community who are more accepting than the average Capitol rioter. My challenge for you is to speak with those who are open-minded, and be open-minded yourself. The amount of listeners in Easton (and America) outnumbers the amount of screamers. Our school community provides the perfect opportunity to begin having civil conversations with those who have different beliefs than you. I know there are empathetic republicans and democrats who walk OA’s halls, and those are who we should debate ideas with.
So don’t be afraid to reach across the political aisle. Our school is full of respectful students who possess different beliefs. Although national unity will be less easy to achieve, the best we can do right now is to start with promoting peaceful debate within our own community. With that being said, we still must hold anyone who behaved wrongly, including congress members accountable for their actions.
In conclusion, I encourage you to remain politically active even though election season has finished. Don’t stop advocating for reform, talking with others, or continuing the fight to better our country.