I’m watching Democrats celebrate the results of the recent election while Republicans are looking for the best place to lay blame. Democratic celebration is understandable, but they didn’t just win the Super Bowl. This should be a somber moment, as they have been handed important responsibilities. Anyone who knows me knows I believe President Trump is the wrong person to lead this country, but we have to stop blaming everything on him. I want neither to criticize nor to defend. Yes, I welcome the change that will likely come with the next Congress, but our problems run deeper than either party can handle.
What I do celebrate is a shift toward youth, greater gender balance, and more racial and ethnic diversity in our legislative branch and in the statehouses, hopefully accompanied by a greater willingness to work together. We’ve come a long way from the Senate my grandfather served in: 96 white men (though my grandmother often told my grandfather how to vote). What we don’t need now is a campaign of retribution; we’ve already endured two years of it. The problems we face won’t be fixed in two years, and they will require sacrifices few are willing to make.
In many ways, we are a spoiled country. We use more resources per capita than any other country. We complain about the price of gas and goods, yet we keep spending. Sadly, for many, the price of gas is not a problem: they can’t afford a car. The rich are getting richer, and the poor are trapped in poverty. Republicans have overseen a rising stock market, but many citizens can’t afford to buy stock. Republicans complain about the growing debt, yet they want to cut taxes. Democrats are appalled by the debt, yet they want to spend on better health care and schools. It’s as if neither party understands how a budget works.
Both parties need to sit down, listen (not argue), and compromise. Sadly, this likely won’t happen while both sides blame the other for a lack of compromise. Compromise does not mean trying to sell your position to the opposition. It means listening, then giving and taking. Sadly, both sides will likely have to make sacrifices neither is willing to make. Republicans are right that throwing money at a problem often doesn’t fix it. However, when they say this country provides equal opportunity for all, they are putting their heads in the sand. If you can’t afford to invest, send your child to college, buy a house, or access quality health care, you don’t have the same opportunity as others. The poor will remain poor while the rich get richer. Raising taxes only on the wealthy will not cover the bill Democrats will incur to equalize opportunity for all and reduce our debt. Most people want lower taxes and increased benefits. Do the math.
We should look back to the Greatest Generation, the amazing people who weathered the Great Depression and saw us emerge victorious from World War II. How many today would be willing to make the sacrifices people had to make then? My mother talked about her “family vacation” during World War II. Once a year, the six of them would pile into their car, drive 2 miles, buy a pint of ice cream, and split it. We complain today about prices (and they are frightening), yet we still travel, eat out frequently, buy the latest gadgets and clothes, and spend thousands at holiday time. We complain about climate change, but how many are willing to drive less and conserve? Are we up to the sacrifices we must make?
A satirical 1980s expression went, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Sadly, so much of our economy depends on our excessive consumerism; we feel compelled to own the latest “toy.” Years ago, my grandparents, as children, had few possessions; any toys were likely made at home. Their “home entertainment system” consisted of a few books ... if they were lucky. Vacations meant a trip to see a relative, and many didn’t own a car. What was valued most years ago cost nothing: family, friends, health. With advertisements urging you to buy more and more, are we any happier?
So, let’s stop the celebrating, blaming, and arguing. Most of us are guilty. Let’s get serious about uplifting those with fewer resources, providing better health care for all, and reducing the impacts of climate change. However, we will all have to make sacrifices and difficult choices. The wealthy need to lead the way, not insulate themselves with their riches. Many of them do make significant contributions to combating poverty, disease, and environmental ills. The rest of us need to stop blaming them when we are unwilling to make sacrifices ourselves.
So many of us have forgotten how to listen, making compromise nearly impossible. This is a great country, though hardly a perfect one. It’s not our wealth that makes us great, but our openness, diversity, and tolerance for differing opinions. The Statue of Liberty symbolizes our openness to all races, creeds, and religions, even if some have forgotten that. Our schools educate all and give up on no one; that has not always been true. We come together as one in a moment of tragedy, but we sometimes forget that community spirit when times are good.
I don’t know what 2028 will bring. Will we still be arguing and blaming, or will we finally begin to listen to each other, not just those who agree with us? Hateful messaging and name-calling divide, not unite. If both parties launch wars of retribution, 2028 will see us no better off than we are today. How many in Washington and our state capitals dare to listen and compromise, to put egos aside, and to risk political loss by meeting the other side halfway? My grandfather, Sen. George L. Radcliffe, lost a third term as US senator, losing in the primary because he listened to and often worked with the opposing party. He had no regrets. How many today have that same courage?