LETTER: We need to find things we can agree on

Posted

Many didn’t rejoice in Donald Trump’s election. They’re quick to point out the majority choice. But we live under a constitution designed to protect the rights of people in individual states, which the electoral system guarantees.

Focus of current protests is the president’s personal life. It’s not perfect. Not long ago, we had a president who demonstrated similar morals. His administration didn’t abuse women’s rights. Assuming this current one will seems a stretch. Principles exist in the constitution, such as those established by Roe v. Wade, that check the executive branch’s power in any case.

I’m concerned by the reception of, like it or not, our president. A family torn by rancor doesn’t survive. A company whose board of directors meetings are paralyzed by discord go bankrupt. Countries where divisive politics reign slip by the wayside of history. We live in times of great challenge. These can successfully be bested only with some union. Doing otherwise is an unaffordable luxury, an invitation to disaster.

Voicing one’s opinion, action toward measures one doesn’t agree, is one’s duty. Attacking based on generality is demagoguery. The former is democracy. The latter, the genesis of mob rule. Success in life is finding common ground in working with viewpoints one disagrees.

Trump’s announced goals are creation of jobs and productivity – daunting tasks considering the status quo of our consumer economy. We’ve been blindly mortgaging our children’s future. The creation of wealth is done by production, not by selling things from China. With a sensible economic plan, maybe we all can find a shared goal. With ensuing harmony, other existing issues might be worked out in cooperation rather than discord.

Maybe we can delay being swayed by public relations campaigns which only create division and see if we can find something we can agree on.

STEVE KEMPER

Port Townsend