Musings: Seek a path to rebuild trust to heal this divided nation

We frequently hear that the United States is more divided today than at any time since the Civil War.

Evidence to make the case abounds as Americans are at odds on a wide range of issues, including immigration, climate change, health care, combating crime, and abortion rights.

Perhaps the most telling illustration of the current level of discord is the increased prevalence of political violence in America, including the horrific assassination of political figures in just the past few months.

President Abraham Lincoln, who guided our nation through the Civil War, recognized the pivotal moment in his first Inaugural Address on March 4, 1861, when he made a plea to the American people to take heed of “the better angels of our nature.” While he was not able to avert the Civil War — which began 39 days later — and its carnage through his words, his message is one that resonates through the ages and should be central to our current political discourse.

Arguing about which extremists are more responsible for the current level of political violence will not help this nation heal. Instead, the United States desperately needs its citizenry to unequivocally condemn all political violence and strive to forge a path toward healing and unity.

To reverse this disturbing trend and preserve the republic created by the framers of our Constitution 238 years ago, “we the people” will need to heed Lincoln’s “better angels” plea.

We must collectively tap into “the better angels of our nature” by resisting the temptation to demonize our adversaries and remembering that as a people with a shared history and political culture, there is so much more that binds us than sets us apart.

With Election Day Tuesday, shouldn’t we consider voting for peacemakers, those who seek healing and reconciliation?

The framers of the Constitution gifted us a republic. It is the responsibility of all Americans to keep it.

— Carolyn Faggioni, Bellmore