Moving Forward After America's 2024 Election: An Open Letter for Unity and Healing

Dear Fellow Americans, Regardless of Party,

Once again, the campaigns have ended, the doors have closed on rally venues across the nation, and an election has come and gone. While many are celebrating what they see as a win for the country and our people, others are suffering crippling fear and gut-wrenching grief. Both of these things are acceptable regardless of which side we're on, and there are people on both sides who feel both extremes. What should not be acceptable in this nation at any time, for any reason, is the militant vitriol dividing our social feeds, our workplaces, our households, our churches, our schools. I ask you, from one American to another: Is this how we want the world to see us? Is this how we want to move forward?

This election season, like so many before it, has brought the deepest of our most passionate values and beliefs to the surface. But no matter what color we vote, we are all a part of this nation; like it or not, we're in this together. The biggest thing it seems so many Americans have forgotten these days is that no matter what color you vote, no matter what color you are, regardless of your religious creed or sexual/gender identity, you are still - and should always be treated as - an important and valued part of the US. Because it isn't about me vs. you...it's about US. And every part of US has a valid and worthy input. If we choose to be US, then there is no THEM.

This is why we vote, why we count ballots. It's why every year, like it or not, someone wins. And it's why it's up to us to make the best of it, because we can choose to care for each other in our communities regardless of who lives in the White House. Every day, regardless of politics, we are the USA - and Kamala was right when she said, "We have more in common than what separates us."

We owe it to each other, to this nation of people, to the coming generations, and to the world for which we are so often the example of leadership, to stand together. But please understand: standing together doesn't mean we have to agree on everything. It means we recognize, one human to another, that each person in this country has worth and dignity and value regardless of their views. It means looking for ways to support each other on both sides of the political line rather than tearing each other down. We must remember that true equality means no person is above any other person. White (or another other color) is not greater than black (or another other color), man is not greater than woman - and we will never see true equality until we embrace this.

No one wins friends with hatred - on either side. And so, we must let go of our instinct to villainize, dehumanize, and infantilize the people we don't agree with. We must remember the individual power we hold in our daily lives, no matter who wins or loses this or any election. Politicians may center in the headlines, but they're not standing beside us at the grocery store, the school, or the church. They're not with us in line at Walmart, and they're not following us on TikTok. There's only so much we can blame on them, regardless of party or policies or voting history or speeches.

A united America starts with us now, just as it started with us in the beginning.

Donald Trump once said, "Together, we will make America great again." Some people embrace this statement and others recoil from it, but at face value, at its heart is the idea of togetherness and community. Together, we can help one another. We can embrace our diversity of thought and experience. With empathy and compassion on both sides, for both sides, we can choose to live up to the principles this nation was founded on. And if we cared for each other as individuals rather than political parties, we would have less to fear from a government on either side - because we would be stronger as a people.

Maybe that's idealistic. I'm a novelist, a dreamer; I always have been. But maybe it's just that we seem to have lost our ability to respectfully disagree without tearing each other apart. We're all so quick to comment, so quick to criticize. We're screaming to be heard, without ever stopping to truly listen. But our votes are private for exactly this reason - to allow each person to vote according to their conscience without consequence or fear of repercussion. This current overflow of divisive animosity is hurting us all as a nation, and we all owe each other the respect to educate ourselves, choose for ourselves, and hush up about it; more than two hundred years of soldiers have fought and died for our freedom to choose, and we owe them (and each other) the grace to keep some things private.

I know that sometimes it's unavoidable. Sometimes we want to educate people, or share why we feel the way we do, but we must do this mindfully. It's entirely possible to disagree without dehumanizing, to discuss without belittling, but we must remember how to listen for understanding, rather than just to respond and make a point. We must remember that it is okay to have differences, that our fellow Americans, regardless of party choice, are not our enemies.

So, as we enter the next chapter in our country's long and nuanced story, let me encourage you to look inward, as I will be looking inward. Let's choose to show up for each other, rather than showing off for each other. Let us be a nation of kindness, compassion, and peace. Let us be willing to listen, to remember our common ground.

Because the simple truth is this: If you don't want division, don't divide. You don't want want hate? Don't hate. If you don't want exclusion, be inclusive to all people, even those who are not like you.

In this time, as our country navigates a difficult chapter with high emotions everywhere, let us be the ones who heal each other rather than hurting each other. Let us remember that across party lines, we are all still here, side by side, sharing this incredible, beautiful land - and yearning for the same peace.

Besides, my grandma always said you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Sincerely,

Your Fellow American, Who Prays You...