What does America look like on Nov. 9? In most places the chill of mid-fall will be settling in. In Denver, there may be snow on the ground or it might be a sunny 75 degrees. People will go to work. Children will go to school. Defeated candidates and their supporters will feel a sense of loss and disappointment that will take time to heal. Some Americans will be angry. Many will simply be relieved that this ugly election is over. And we’ll all start grumbling that Christmas decorations are going up before Thanksgiving.
No matter who won the election, there will be no riots. The nation will not self-destruct. The United States has endured two world wars, the Cold War, the Great Depression, bad presidents, the Civil War, bad laws, the struggle to end slavery and segregation, the Industrial Revolution, bad Supreme Court decisions, the Dust Bowl, and the attacks of 9/11. America will surely endure the next four years.
Even so, we cannot go on as though Election 2016 was not the most bitterly divisive election in recent memory. Unless we do things differently, the nation will become more politically polarized and socially divided. The next election could be worse.
The solution, however, is not political. In fact, it applies to voters and elected officials alike. It is essential for restoring trust and laying the groundwork for reform. It has the power to reunify the Republican Party and to rebuild trust in the press. It can heal relationships injured by a difficult election. It is simple to say but hard to do; we must learn to listen to each other.
As a NeverTrump conservative talk show host, I need to hear Trump supporters’ concerns about national security, immigration, and the impact of trade and automation on manufacturing jobs without judgement. Democrats and independents should also listen.
Sometimes what sounds like anger is legitimate frustration. Another million Americans will lose their health insurance next year because of Obamacare. Leaders on both sides of the aisle can no longer dismiss the human costs of this law. They must listen and make changes. Many black Americans feel that they are treated inequitably by the justice system. Leaders must listen and make changes. These are our fellow citizens.
Lawmakers also deserve to be heard. Too often commentators, bloggers and radio hosts oversimplify or exaggerate public policy decisions, sometimes to the point of falsehood. When they depict all politicians as corrupt sellouts, they falsely indict the good with the bad and fan the flames of outrage.
Same goes for the press. Many journalists accurately report the news. The notion that all journalists are biased and agenda-driven is just an excuse to not be informed. It justifies narrowing one’s news consumption to a few favored blogs or Facebook posts that only reinforce one’s beliefs. Listening means reading beyond one’s comfort zone. Likewise, the press must take heed of people’s concerns about bias or uneven coverage. There’s some truth there.
Finally we need to listen to each other, especially those who are different than us. When Americans only congregate with like-minded individuals, they develop an inaccurate impression of other people. Segregation breeds stereotypes. Every Democrat becomes Nancy Pelosi. Every Republican is Rush Limbaugh. Every Muslim is a suspected jihadist, every Christian, a smarmy televangelist. Every black American is Al Sharpton. Every white American is David Duke. Itap not healthy. Itap an affront to our national motto, e pluribus unum, out of many, one.
We must listen if we want to be heard. If we want lawmakers to act, we must build support for those actions. As long as the people are divided on the direction of the nation, there will be gridlock. We must first persuade our fellow Americans that a new course is needed.
Nov. 9 offers a new start. As campaign signs head for the trash can and we peel the stickers off our bumpers, we can make a resolution not to repeat Election 2016. We can resolve to listen.
Krista Kafer (tokrista@msn.com) is co-host of “Kelley and Kafer” airing 4 to 7 p.m. on 710 KNUS.
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