S-N Editorial: Divided, but not yet conquered

If there’s something we can all agree on right now, it’s that we can’t agree on anything.

Sure, we might all think the sky is blue, but given enough time to squabble over it, there would probably be half the country that claims it’s green. Things are just so incredibly divided it seems Americans’ first reaction is to fight. Pick any topic and it’s likely to be an inferno of debate: Coronavirus, masks, economic recovery, sports, race, policing, the Supreme Court – you name it, and people are mad about it.

Then there’s the election. Presidential races often bring out the worst in everyone, and that definitely feels true this year. Opinions are a dime a dozen and often free. It’s not rare to overhear someone’s take on any number of issues while simply standing in line at the grocery store or stopping somewhere for a cup of coffee. There’s just no escaping the vitriol no matter where you are.

It’s worth wondering how long Americans will cling to this election after it’s over. There’s always a period of elation for the winner and heartbreak for the loser, but will we be able to move past that as a country? The 2016 election was a bitter slog and it often seems like we’re stuck in the middle of it four years later. Republicans still bring up Hillary Clinton’s emails and Democrats can’t let go of President Trump’s tax returns. There are a thousand other petty quarrels to list, but that would be futile. We’ve been subjected to the same finger pointing for more than four years.

Once the final ballots are counted next month and a winner is named, there will still be very real and incredibly pressing issues to confront. The COVID-19 pandemic is still going to be ravaging this country and the economy will still be on the mend. Those two massive issues don’t care about who wins next month.

There is less than a month to go before the Nov. 3 election. While we hunker down into our partisan foxholes, it’s important to peek above the surface and realize there’s more at stake than Republican victories or Democratic victories. Americans are reeling and we need to come out on the other side of this as a united country, not a divided one. Sadly, right now it doesn’t seem like there’s much hope for that.

As clichéd as it may sound, there are far more things that unite us than divide us. Focusing on that guiding ideal will be paramount if Americans are to ever bridge the gaping chasm of political division we now find ourselves in. Unity will only happen if we want it to.