Post Election Healing
Now we have a 46th United States president after a very divisive election, I have been thinking a lot about what healing means. In my constant pursuit of wisdom, here’s what I would like to see from fellow Americans:
Unity: Our symbolic bald eagle flies only when its left and right wings work in harmony. If you are an American, be it African, Jewish, Hispanic, conservative, or liberal, emphasize the noun more than any adjective you put in front of it. Be proud loud, but use your adjectives only to unite.
Perspective: The stars on our flag symbolize knowledge with many facets that can deepen, broaden and challenge our perspective. Nearly half of U.S. voters cast their ballot differently than you. Since they voted their truth just as you did, we should practice empathy and understand why. Most people are good people and they are inclined to listen to you when you first listen openly to them.
Reasoning: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are our fundamental rights. So is thinking. While sharing opinions is part of human nature, the number of views or likes they receive does not make them fact. Since opinions absent of facts are only beliefs and perception is reality, many beliefs have created misperceptions and false realities.
Accountability: The 5 freedoms that our 1st Amendment provides - speech, press, religion, assembly, and the petition of government - make the United States among the freest nations in the world. Those freedoms without positive intent can also destroy a nation. There must be salience in honoring our freedoms while exposing entities that choose to undermine them.