Letter to the editor: Americans must move past our divide

The 2020 presidential election will be ingrained in the minds of Americans for decades. The current numbers show the divide that our country faces. There is no red wave or blue wave that the candidates promised. So what is the future of our country?

Joe Biden has consistently promised that he will listen to scientists and that he will be an “American president.” President Trump painted a vision of an America where covid-19 has disappeared and the economy is booming. Whichever vision you subscribe to is your personal preference. What matters is our country’s divide.

Since Trump was elected in 2016, our country has been divided. People talk past each other, they encourage violence against those they do not agree with and bully/degrade on social media. Why? The purpose of being an engaged citizen is to promote the betterment of your fellow person.

People argue that Trump caused this divide, but I disagree, and so do many others, including many in the Democratic Party. During the Democratic National Convention, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that “Donald Trump didn’t create the initial division, the division created Trump.”

We must move past this. Our country must relearn the values that we hold so dear. As former Sen. John McCain said in his 2008 concession speech, “Whatever our differences, we are Americans first. … We must move beyond (our disappointment) and work together to get our country moving again.”

Ashton Caldwell

Harmar