By Richard Korts
Richard Korts is a software developer & IT manager who develops specialized internet apps. He resides in Escondido, California.
Richard Korts is a software developer & IT manager who develops specialized internet apps. He resides in Escondido, California.
Reconciliation
Many years ago, President Abraham Lincoln, in a famous address, said “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” We are in that same situation now.
More than 75 million Americans voted for the Biden / Harris ticket in the 2020 election. But more than 71 million voted for Trump. So about 48.6 % of those who voted were for Trump and about 51.4% were for Biden. We cannot just sweep that 48.6% under the rug.
The Republicans actually gained in the House and unless a miracle occurs in the two runoffs of the Georgia Senate races, the Republicans will still control the Senate. If both Dems in Georgia win and the two independents currently in the Senate side with them as expected, the Senate will have a 50-50 split.
I believe we as Americans must find a way to overcome the extreme polarization in this country and it needs to start NOW. Not just with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and other leading Democrats, but at the so-called grass roots level. But how do we do that?
I think it was in a broadcast of 60 Minutes in 2017 that Oprah Winfrey did a piece in which she led a discussion with 16 Michigan voters, eight of whom had voted for Trump and eight, for Hillary. Participants were able to avoid confrontation or anger by LISTENING to what the other side said, with no interruptions and no rebuttals, just listening.
We need to try doing something like that now. We need to reach across the partisan divide and listen to each other. I’d like to suggest we try it. Try assembling small groups of people on both sides of the divide and listen to each other. What have we got to lose?
Many years ago, President Abraham Lincoln, in a famous address, said “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” We are in that same situation now.
More than 75 million Americans voted for the Biden / Harris ticket in the 2020 election. But more than 71 million voted for Trump. So about 48.6 % of those who voted were for Trump and about 51.4% were for Biden. We cannot just sweep that 48.6% under the rug.
The Republicans actually gained in the House and unless a miracle occurs in the two runoffs of the Georgia Senate races, the Republicans will still control the Senate. If both Dems in Georgia win and the two independents currently in the Senate side with them as expected, the Senate will have a 50-50 split.
I believe we as Americans must find a way to overcome the extreme polarization in this country and it needs to start NOW. Not just with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and other leading Democrats, but at the so-called grass roots level. But how do we do that?
I think it was in a broadcast of 60 Minutes in 2017 that Oprah Winfrey did a piece in which she led a discussion with 16 Michigan voters, eight of whom had voted for Trump and eight, for Hillary. Participants were able to avoid confrontation or anger by LISTENING to what the other side said, with no interruptions and no rebuttals, just listening.
We need to try doing something like that now. We need to reach across the partisan divide and listen to each other. I’d like to suggest we try it. Try assembling small groups of people on both sides of the divide and listen to each other. What have we got to lose?
RSS Feed