Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor | More in common than what divides us
I have a friend who is on the other side of the political aisle from me. She is liberal; I am an independent conservative. We did not vote for the same presidential candidate, yet the funny thing is that we agree on many things.
That realization has stayed with me because I am deeply frustrated by the divisions in our country. We have an incredible nation, but our political and media environments seem determined to convince us that our neighbors are our enemies. We receive biased news that often presents the same events through very different partisan lenses.
I hate politics. At the same time, I have spent nearly a year researching Pierce County’s biennial budget, and what I have found has compelled me to get involved. I am troubled by what I believe is wasteful spending of millions of taxpayer dollars. My research has motivated me to support grassroots efforts for Pierce County Council in the hope that we can bring greater accountability and responsible stewardship to local government.
But my goal is not to attack people who disagree with me. It is to find common ground.
Most of us want safe communities, responsible spending and reliable infrastructure. Most of us value law enforcement, our military and our Constitution. Most of us believe America, while imperfect, is an extraordinary country. And most of us want our neighbors to have the opportunity to live healthy, productive and meaningful lives.
Take immigration. Conservatives generally believe our borders should be secure and that government has a responsibility to provide services first to citizens and those who have legally entered our country. That does not mean conservatives lack compassion for people coming here in desperate circumstances. It means we recognize that resources are finite. We should be able to help people in need while also asking whether our government can sustainably meet every demand placed upon it.
I believe we should help people struggling with addiction, mental illness, poverty and homelessness. We should support our veterans. We should offer rehabilitation and treatment to those who genuinely want to rebuild their lives. Compassion, however, should also include accountability. The goal should be to help people stand on their own feet whenever possible — not permanently depend upon the work of others.
I also believe we have become too focused on labels. Regarding LGBTQ and transgender issues, I believe every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We do not have to agree about every aspect of someone’s life to recognize their humanity. Constantly emphasizing the adjectives that distinguish us can sometimes make our differences seem more important than our common humanity.
Recently, I read the Peace Point Plan funded by Pierce County to address youth violence. One stated goal is “dismantling White Supremacy Culture,” with characteristics such as individualism, urgency, progress and growth included in its discussion of that culture. That deserves thoughtful examination. Individual initiative, personal responsibility, progress and growth are not values I want us to abandon. We should be careful that, in trying to address discrimination, we do not inadvertently discourage the very qualities that help individuals and communities thrive.
We will continue to disagree about immigration, healthcare, economics, gender, race, religion and foreign policy. Those disagreements are not going away — and they shouldn’t have to. A free society depends upon our ability to debate difficult questions.
What matters is how we disagree.
History reminds us that terrible things can happen when good people fail to act. Our country has often tried to balance compassion, national security, constitutional principles and our responsibilities to the world. Those decisions are complicated, and reasonable people can reach different conclusions without being evil, ignorant or uncaring.
We need to stop assuming that everyone on the other side is our enemy.
My liberal friend and I can disagree about politics and still respect one another. Perhaps that is the lesson we need to take into our communities: **we have far more in common than what separates us.**
Let’s come back to the table. Let’s listen before we condemn. Let’s hold our elected leaders accountable without dehumanizing them or one another. And let’s remember that our neighbors are not the problem simply because they vote differently.
Our disagreements will remain. Our humanity should come first.
Kim Holt
Gig Harbor