I know everyone is getting tired of the political posts on their timelines, but this one is really important. Like, REALLY important.
Something is up. And it's bad.
POTUS #44 Barack Obama has ended his term and POTUS #45 Donald Trump has been sworn in, but something is blocking me (a right-leaning Libertarian who supported Trump) from being totally happy about it.
It's the fact that the country is so divided right now.
I completely get it. President Donald Trump said some nasty things during the campaign that turned a lot of people off. In fact, I stopped supporting him for a brief period after that haunting Access Hollywood video came out. Even though I had supported him since the end of May 2016 after he clinched the nomination, even that turned me off from him for a while. But then I thought about it a couple weeks after that video and decided to cast my vote based off of policy and not personality.
I completely understand why people are mad about Hillary winning the popular vote but not the presidency. People are angry that we won't have a female president for four years, and while I didn't support her candidacy, I myself want to see a woman in the White House someday.
But enough about electoral politics, because that's not why I decided to write this article.
I decided to write this article because I've noticed something really bad. It's that the political tension in the air has reached an all-new level. Though I've already explained above a little bit of why that is, now I want to offer the biggest olive branch ever.
We, as Americans, need to unify, and we need to do so NOW.
Let me explain a little why I feel this way and what I mean.
So I had the opportunity to attend the 58th Presidential Inauguration and it was easily one of the best days of my life, but when I was there, there was an uneasy feeling. My dad and I were in the silver ticket area, which was not too close but not too far. There was a great view of the stage and a screen that showed exactly what the viewers at home were watching. About an hour before the swearing-in ceremony began, the past presidents, first ladies, and other dignitaries were coming in. When former first lady Hillary Clinton appeared on the screen, things got ugly. Everybody around us started jeering and booing her into oblivion. I'm not sure if those at home could hear it, but it was very loud around us. It became obvious that the stereotypical Trump supporters were not ready to let go of the fact that she lost when they started chanting "Lock her up, lock her up..." Then the booing got worse as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi showed up and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke; it got so bad that I couldn't hear half of what he was talking about over the insults and boos.
Let me make it clear that I may not agree with some of the politics of Clinton and Pelosi and Schumer, but I at least respect them as people. I respect all peaceful Democrats and Republicans alike as people, even if I don't agree with their political views.
The beginning of a new administration is kind of like the beginning of a new year: it is a perfect time for the country to get a fresh start and for people to promise to follow new political habits. I want to start this administration by promising to listen to the other side and root for them when they do things that I agree with, like when they enforce their free speech rights at the Women's March on Washington. I respect those who took part in that historic march, and I want people to continue to voice their opinions whether I agree with them or not.
Unification means we need to tolerate one another and not attack them when they voice an opinion that is against yours. It doesn't mean we all have to share the same views; it's obvious that will NEVER happen.
Unification means we need to put electoral politics aside and focus on helping the new administration govern. Let's end the 'Lock Her Up' talk and focus on getting along with each other and moving an agenda forward that the American people can agree on.
Unification means we need to stop the violence. Stop breaking things. Stop looting Starbucks and breaking their windows. Stop punching people as they are being interviewed on live television, even if they share very radical views.
Unification means when people are trying to scream words of dissent at you in order to shut you up, it means you keep talking. Try to get them to listen to you. If you are the dissenter, listen to them. It's surprising how much you will actually agree with each other if you start listening and getting along.
Unification means knowing that we are all in this together. Whatever happens these next four years and beyond, we are ONE country. ONE nation under God.
Former President Barack Obama said in a speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 that "there is not a liberal America and a conservative America, there is the United States of America."
President Donald Trump said in his inaugural speech that "when America is united, America is totally unstoppable."
Now, I know I can't ever achieve world peace. I will never be able to get everyone in the world to agree with each other and tolerate each other, but I want to get the ball rolling for the generations ahead. Let's show that we are not the generation of political divisiveness and that we are the generation of toleration. Let's get started. As Stephen Colbert famously said during his election night coverage, don't be afraid to kiss a Democrat or hug a Republican. Let's put the hate behind us and let's all be kind to each other.
If I think of other ways we can unite, I will edit this article as need be. I will also be open to political debate, as it allows me to start on my new resolution for the new administration as explained above.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and as always, be a positive force.
In Liberty,
Jacob Stech
