We must come together

One year ago, our glorious United States Capitol Building was stormed by a band of barbarians. Our decades­long descent into the depths of our addiction to political polarization hit rock bottom on January 6, 2021. However, we never used that opportunity to come together as a people. Instead, we sank lower.

Our ability to exercise our First Amendment rights diminished, and we failed to move the ball forward in the noble fight against racism, violence and poverty, as well as our war to advance voting rights, environmental justice, and pro-choice policies in all realms of life.

My fellow Americans, our national question remains: where shall we be if we fail to discover consensus and seize the opportunities of the 21st Century? Somewhere along the way we abandoned our ability to truly listen to each other, and as a result, we lost ourselves.

In the face of attacks on the very bastion of our democratic republic, we must not respond with the outdated, autocratic model. When confronted with the depredations of dictatorship and ills of ignorance, we must respond to the call of the Constitution and embrace the democratic model. We must come together to ensure the truth of the January 6 commission is revealed publicly, and then and we must finally embark on a bipartisan agenda to ensure victory over our authoritarian and communist enemies.

Most of all, the United States of America must remain true to our founding principles and fulfill the progressive dreams of the youngest generations. Our way of life allows for both. In America, individuals have the power to choose their destiny; therefore, our entire country, too, has the intestinal fortitude to chart a better course for our Ship of State.

Henry J.H. Wilson

Barrington