“A republic, if you can keep it.”
― 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin’s response to the question: “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” at the Constitutional Convention in 1787
Even before the live viewing of Grumpy Old Men Pt. 2 — oh, sorry, the debate — and the alarming decisions handed down by the Supreme Court this week that undermine the system of checks and balances established by the framers of the Constitution, I’ve been thinking about the destructive power of division.
Humans are tribal by nature. We like to sort people into tidy little groups according to our perceived similarities and differences, likes and dislikes. What we forget is that we have far more in common than we want to admit.
Division is destructive. All we have to do is look back at the Civil War. No matter how we’ve framed it in our history books, there are no winners in a civil war. It’s time for Americans to find common ground again, beyond our political parties, chosen leaders, football teams, music genres, or any of the other pigeonholes we’ve tucked ourselves into.
Here’s the hard part… no one is going to do it for us. There are too many groups who benefit financially from our infighting, from the mainstream infotainment channels to the politicians and PACs filling their coffers to the pundits and podcasters getting rich off our rage at one another. And then there are our international enemies. Watching us fight like ants in an anthill being poked with a stick by bratty children probably has them chortling with glee. We’re being played, folks.
What does ending division look like? It looks like each one of us choosing to set aside our pet opinions and positions long enough to see our fellow human under the hat, behind the protest sign, or waving the banner, and then choosing peace and kindness instead of judgment and contention.
That’s not easy, I know. I work in an industry that makes people jaded and cynical in a hot minute. Shrugging off negativity is a heavy lift, but it’s essential for our social fabric, our mental wellbeing, our physical health and our future. Let’s remember that as we celebrate our country’s independence, and let’s reaffirm our commitment to hold on to what our founders established for us at great cost: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.