A few weeks ago, we talked about something that seems almost revolutionary in today’s political climate:
In fact, disagreement is healthy. It is one of the strengths of a free society. Different perspectives challenge bad ideas, refine good ones, and help us solve difficult problems. The danger isn’t disagreement. The danger is what we’ve allowed disagreement to become.
Somewhere along the way, we stopped viewing people with different opinions as neighbors and started viewing them as enemies. We have been conditioned to believe that we must choose a tribe, defend it at all costs, and treat anyone outside of it with suspicion. The result has been division, resentment, and an inability to have productive conversations about the challenges facing our country.
The greatest threat to America is not that we disagree.
The greatest threat is that we no longer know how to disagree while remembering that we are all Americans.
The truth is that most Americans have far more in common than social media, cable news, and political talking heads would have us believe. Most Americans want children protected from harm. Most Americans want safe communities. Most Americans want strong families, economic opportunity, honest government, and a better future for the next generation. The disagreement usually isn’t about the destination. The disagreement is about the route we should take to get there.
That distinction matters.
Because when we start with political parties, conversations often end before they begin. But when we start with values, common ground becomes much easier to find.
Take protecting children as an example. If you walked down Main Street and asked a hundred Americans whether children should be protected from abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and predatory behavior, nearly every person would agree. That’s not a Republican value. That’s not a Democrat value. That’s an American value.
The same principle applies to strong families. Most people believe children benefit from stable homes, responsible parents, strong communities, and adults who are invested in their future. We may disagree on policies and solutions, but the value itself is something we largely share.
The same can be said for honest government. Americans may disagree about who should hold office, but most agree that public officials should serve the public rather than themselves. Most agree that corruption is harmful, that transparency is important, and that leaders should be held accountable for their actions.
The same is true for fiscal responsibility. Most Americans understand that continually spending beyond your means eventually creates consequences. We may debate budgets and priorities, but stewardship and responsibility are values that resonate regardless of political affiliation.
Patriotism should not belong to one political party either. Loving your country is not a partisan issue. Patriotism is not blind loyalty to a politician, a movement, or a party. Patriotism is loyalty to the principles that make this nation worth defending and a commitment to leaving it stronger for future generations.
The problem is that we often skip over the values and jump straight into the arguments. We immediately sort people into teams and assume the worst about anyone who disagrees with us. In doing so, we lose sight of the fact that many of us are pursuing the same goals, even when we disagree on the methods.
A well grounded American understands that productive discussions begin with shared values. Once we establish common ground, we can have healthy debates about solutions. We can challenge ideas without attacking people. We can disagree without becoming divided.
That is how free citizens solve problems.
The people who benefit most from division are often those who profit from keeping us angry, distracted, and fighting among ourselves. Meanwhile, the average American is trying to provide for a family, build a future, and leave this country better than they found it.
Perhaps before we ask whether someone is Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, we should ask a different question:
What values do we share?
Because when Americans start with values instead of party labels, we often discover that we have much more in common than we’ve been led to believe.
The future of this country will not be secured by blind loyalty to political tribes.
It will be secured by citizens who place timeless values above party lines.
We are Americans first.
Everything else comes second.