Tonight you will likely hear an accounting of the country’s successes over the last 3 years.

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Tonight you will likely hear an accounting of the country’s successes over the last 3 years. We’ll hear about employment, the economy, taxes and other typical barometers of national prosperity, which we should celebrate, while continuing to strive for even greater opportunity for all Americans. We’re also likely to hear the rhetoric of fear meant to scare and divide us, and to rally the President’s base behind his continued power grabs and executive overreaches.
We might also hear boastful references to the president’s likely impending acquittal at the hands of a Senate Republican caucus that is nearly unanimous in defending his every self-serving abuse of power. The looming vote will be a seal of approval on the abuse of power and on a presidency making leaps and bounds into authoritarianism. The power the Senate has surrendered to him will only embolden his corrupt and self-serving schemes
Lastly, we might hear a call for unity mixed into what will almost certainly be partisan attacks on his opposition. The seriousness of the administration’s commitment to cooperation is always belied by their insults, attacks and lies about anyone not on ‘their team.’
But we cannot dismiss our need for unity now. If we can’t transcend partisanship for the good of the nation, then the state of our union is just ‘broken.’
It’s perhaps too simplistic - and a bit cliché - to say that we are divided as a people. It’s true, certainly, that political polarization is reaching a fever pitch. It’s true, also, that ethno-nationalism is on the rise, as are political, racial and other forms of extremist violence. What’s worse, many of our elected leaders and political candidates not only embrace divisiveness, they amplify it, shape it, and push it for their own political gain. It’s created an atmosphere of animosity, distrust, and fear that is perhaps unmatched in our post Civil War history.
The forces driving wedges between us are very real, but they are not strong enough to succeed, so long as we are willing to work together against them. That means rejecting the language of partisan brinkmanship and putting country over party. More than anything, it means connecting with your communities, putting differences aside to work towards common purposes. If we strengthen those bonds, and find common ground in strengthening and enriching our democracy, then no populist, polemicist or partisan can tear us apart.
That work falls on our shoulders. We’re used to looking to our elected leaders to do the hard work of governing for us. And maybe, as a result, we’ve taken our responsibilities as citizens for granted. The good news is, no matter how difficult the times or unfit our leaders, the ultimate power for self governance rests in our hands.
This year will be pivotal in defining our future. Will we write a script for a more prosperous nation, unified in defense of liberty, equality and truth? Or will we succumb to partisanship and fear, growing the divides between us and increasing the obstacles to our success as a nation?
That decision is not in any one politician’s hands. It is in our hands alone. However we may feel about our politics, we must have faith in our ability as a people to steer this nation to safer and more prosperous waters.
– Evan McMullin
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