This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
On the Fourth of July, my wife and I made our way to Dixie State University to watch St. George's annual fireworks display and celebrate the birth of a nation that has freely given us — and others — a host of unalienable rights. Like many Americans that night, we tossed an old blanket onto prickly grass and drank in the hot, summer air as we waited for colorful explosions to rip apart the sky.
To our right, a man wearing a red "Make America Great Again" ball cap lounged on his own old blanket. To our left, kids played with a soccer ball, calling to each other in Spanish.
And as all of us stared at the sky, I'm confident that we each felt the same thing: a deep, burning appreciation for the opportunity to be a small part of the ongoing experiment in democracy that is the United States. In that moment, we weren't liberals or conservatives — we were Americans.
At a time when so much vitriol is created, spread, and reproduced to divide, I suggest we come together. Middle ground isn't as difficult to find as our politicians and talk show hosts would have us believe. We can start at the most basic of commonalities: a love or, at very least, an appreciation for our country.
Let's rise above the labels that we use to defame each other: liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican, left, right. Let's talk about policy, not politics. Let's talk about the law or ruling itself, not about who said what about it. Let's talk about solutions, not about who did or didn't fail to fix the existing problem.
Our civility and communities are at stake, but so is our republic. If our nation descends too far into valleys of divisiveness, it may be difficult for us to climb back out. Issues are not resolved with the pointing of fingers and inflaming of anger. Issues are resolved by communities uniting to invent positive solutions.
What's more, to begin any argument or conversation with a label (liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican, etc.) is to begin that same argument or conversation with fallacy. To fall into reasoning that's been broken by hasty generalizations, red herrings, and slippery slopes becomes too easy once we've confined those who might disagree with us into a single, all-encompassing box.
Our country's current obstacles are far too complex for us to limit ourselves to two possible solutions. If we want policy that actually works for the American people, we will have to move beyond the rigid boundaries of party allegiance. We will have to move beyond "us versus them" dichotomies. We will have to consider the merits of the solution itself, not the political banter that holds the solution from realization.
We are not liberals and conservatives. Neither are we Republicans and Democrats. We are Americans. We should strive to act and speak accordingly.
Braxton Thornley studies English, with an emphasis in secondary education, at Dixie State University in St. George.