Come Together

This blogger Ze has a good idea. He figures, with the election finally over and the real task of fixing the ills of America ahead of us, it's time for red and blue to unite. So he started a project called "from 52 to 48 with love," where Obama voters can reach out to McCain voters with photographic gestures of reconciliation. I like it.

Living in the most liberal part of one of the most liberal states in the Union, I don't know very many Republicans. The few I do know are wonderful people who happen to have different opinions about what the country needs. In the heat of election season, it was easy for me to focus on the worst parts of the opponent party: the mega-rich corporate thieves, the bigots, and those who would use God's name to hurt people who mean them no harm. But looking around objectively, I can see that most of these so-called opponents want pretty much the same things I do: peace, prosperity, opportunity, fairness. 

After the unnecessarily long and agonizing election process has stirred up all this antagonism and division, it's important to remember what we're actually voting for: the leaders who will create the best situation for our country and our families. That can't be accomplished when half the country is moaning about how their choices would be doing a better job and the other half is laughing at them for not being able to do anything about it. No, that just won't do. The country and the world are in some very difficult and dangerous times, and there's no time for partisanship. I'm not saying to stifle dissent and disagreement. Without those, the fight is already lost. I'm saying we shouldn't let the differences that separated us over the last two years of election-mania keep us from working toward meaningful solutions. A few pictures won't can't fix much, but it's a start.