Unity does not mean that we agree with others on everything; however, it does mean that we come to some sort of compromise and end on the same page. As a nation, that same page is the ideals of the United States of America as set forth by our Founding Fathers.
Too often, in this country, we argue for our rights while forgetting our responsibilities as citizens; responsibilities to hold ourselves, as well as our elected officials, to a higher standard of moral conduct. This whole experiment will quickly come to an end without responsible citizens.
We are not unified by our party affiliation or our own personal political opinions. What brings us together as a nation is the belief, since our founding, in something better — a better way of governing our lives. While it’s important to stand for our rights when they are truly threatened, it is also important to be willing to apologize and admit wrong, to seek understanding instead of judgment, to uplift instead of tear down and to seek a higher moral ground — things we tell our kids to do, but don’t always seem to hold ourselves or our elected officials to.
While this current crisis has highlighted the many human virtues we espouse, it has also, sadly, revealed some of our less desirable traits. So, as we begin to open up, let us use this as a time of self-reflection on the ways we can be better citizens moving forward.
Keith Savage
North Salt Lake