OPINION:
The existential crisis facing this country is not rooted in politics; it is rooted in a complete lack of respect for fellow human beings. Immediately upon reading that, those on the left will argue they certainly are not guilty of such a thing, as they are the ones fighting for economic and systemic equality. Those on the right will argue they are the ones fighting for the unborn and the right of every person to achieve their greatest dreams unhindered by a restrictive government.
There are good intentions on both sides. But what use is any of it if each side demonizes the other? What use is it if we on the one hand say you are worthy of X but consider our neighbor unworthy of a civil conversation because they believe Y? What use is it if we claim we all have human rights, but a person’s right to be treated with dignity depends solely on the ideas in their head?
From the left we breed hatred of the wealthy — despite the fact that many of those wealthy do more for the needy than the rest of us combined. We criticize and mock those who believe a moral standard comes not from our whims and desires, but from a Creator. We preach freedom of speech but really just mean “my speech.”
From the political right we elected a bully who responded to critics not with cogent argument, but with insults. We watched as he denied assault not by expressing outrage at the accusation, but by saying the accuser was not his “type.” Some would say, “Well, we didn’t like that, but we did like his policies.” What good are policies if we preach their virtue while simultaneously giving the middle finger to half the country?
No matter who wins the next election, we are all losing. We can have the most accessible health care and open borders, or the lowest tax rates and strict immigration. But the chaos in this country will not be solved until we look at each other as people, not policies.
BRIAN J. GOLDENFELD
Oak Park, Calif.
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