Assurances |

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By Richard Coleman, Stafford County Democratic Committee Member

On election day most of us go into the voting booth with a select few issues on our minds. We seldom find a candidate that supports every issue we support, and with the same priority that matches ours, so we select the candidate that matches most of our issues with a priority order that we can accept. In today’s environment there are major issues that divide America, but I question if the greater divide is not the positions we hold regarding issues, but rather how we handle the fact that others have different positions.

A vigorous and passionate debate on what issues America faces, the priorities we set for responding to those issues, and the methods most appropriate for resolving each issue is needed. But fighting in support of issues is not the same as fighting against those with different positions. The tactic of attacking and destroying those with different positions is not the same as working to convince others that a selected position is a reasonable option to help some fellow Americans. Denying support for one segment of America is not the same as providing support for other segments of America. Going down a path that drives us into smaller and smaller warring camps, fighting for support, will rob us all of the strength found in unity.

There is no way to know which issues America will face in the future, but November 2020 is a point where we can give assurances that we want civility from our political leaders. We should refuse to accept leadership that tells us we need to choose between destroying fellow Americans and implementing policies we support. We must demand leaders who will put in the effort to both deliver on the needs of America and unity for Americans.

This is a post by a member of the Stafford County Democratic Committee. This post does not necessarily reflect the views of the Stafford County Democratic Committee, the Democratic Party of Virginia, or the Democratic Party of America.