I miss America.
Remember what America was like? All nostalgia aside, America has never been a peaceful place but it has been one of mutual respect where you would get to know a person before you decided if you liked them or not, based solely on their perceived party.
On the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution — Sept. 17 — we can remember that the Constitutional Convention was not a peaceful place and yet, in the end, civility and unity won. The delegates determined to follow a rule of secrecy, windows were closed and mouths were shuttered.
Although we don’t know the specifics of the long debate, we do know that compromise came out of it. It is almost certain that angry voices were heard, that names were called, and that relationships were severed — at least temporarily.
In the end, though, our founders presented themselves as a united front. Important human rights issues were addressed and then, admittedly, a band-aid slapped on. They felt their efforts, our Constitution, was imperfect but the best they could do. Nobody was perfectly pleased but it was a way to move forward, united as a nation.
The trust was in the people.
The founders hoped that, in the future, the people would solve the problems they couldn’t. They expected us to be better.
Now, both sides are victims of the political takeover — one of blindly and thoughtlessly following and one of arrogantly labeling the other side with big words and making them feel small. Everyone is so certain that they are “right” that they won’t even listen to what the other side says. This is arrogance. This is pride. This is incivility. This is not what our founders had in mind.
I am not calling out Republicans nor Democrats. I am calling out everyone. Our division is not a liberal issue nor a conservative issue. It is an American issue. We broke it and now we have to fix it, and it starts by fixing the way we choose to see one another.
Julie Smith, Springville
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