We need commitment to tolerance of ideas

As an early-generation Boomer, I can attest to the extreme and unprecedented partisanship we are experiencing in our nation today. What will it take to reduce this devastating trend?

Leaders on both sides are guilty. Joe Biden’s campaign and inaugural speech noted he wanted to be the uniter of all the people, but he swung hard left. It’s hard to argue that times were better under Donald Trump — world peace, low inflation and unemployment, sensible tax cuts and a booming economy — but his personal character, or lack of, is a huge deficit.

Both candidates have major flaws that are well known. People say, “Can’t we get a leader who has common sense, a solid character and openly works with both sides of issues?” And what kind of crisis will bring out such a person? A global war? A civil war? Another, more serious, pandemic? A disastrous financial meltdown? A cyber-attack? All the above?

I unfortunately feel we are headed for some kind of world-altering crisis unless we do something now. For sure, we need a stronger military to deflect potential attacks from the world’s four bad actors. Negotiating with them has rarely worked in the past. And we need common-sense leadership that appeals to both sides on common-sense issues. But mostly we need for people to learn about, listen to and be open to, all sides of a situation before adopting the “my way or the highway” attitude.

John Gibson

St. Charles