In the euphoria of his apparent election victory, Joe Biden and his supporters have been ballyhooing the prospects of unity, “healing the political divisions in the nation.” To the contrary, now is an excellent time to make it clear that the values and rhetoric of the soon-to-be-ex-president and many of his supporters are simply unacceptable in a civil society.
Granted, there is value in diverse opinions (“The best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market”), but that does not mean that all thoughts are equal. As we in academia often tell our students, the fact that there is no right answer does not mean that there are no wrong answers. We may have to tolerate some intolerance for the sake of free expression, but it is important to respond with better values and disapproval of xenophobia.
“E pluribus unum” is premised on the interplay of diversity before coming to a united course of action.
Wayne McCormack, Salt Lake City