Noon, November 7, 2020
Dear CCI Friends,
Thankfully, the 2020 election is over! Never have our two political parties gone after each other in such a mean-spirited manner!
Surprisingly, TV commentators on both sides are asking the right questions and seem to be trying to assure a modicum of goodwill toward each other. This is heartwarming!
Our nation is about equally split with both Biden and Trump supporters. Somehow we must find cooperative ways to work together in the coming months.
It will require each of us to become bridges with one another. How can we do this? It would be great to get ideas from hundreds of you CCI followers about how we can rise above partisanship in the days and weeks ahead. Many families are split on the Trump-Biden philosophies and methodologies. My four adult children don’t discuss these issues amongst themselves. Two vehemently support Biden, two clearly support Trump. They are educated, successful Americans. I sit in the middle as the only one who “wrote in” my choice of candidate months ago.
As one who didn’t vote for either party, I see many things that we can do to bring about collaboration in the days ahead. Many of today’s front runners will be too old to run in 2024. We need to think seriously about our collective future and give space to the Millennials and Generations X and Z.
Spokespersons in the international community recently have noted that today’s leadership in America looks like the Soviet Union’s last tranche of Kremlin leaders. They had been in power for decades and had crystalized into positions that were no longer relevant to the future of their people. We can work toward making space for our “Gorbachev era”! Actually, I think one or two such persons are in the offing. They are quite different from Biden or Trump.
If you send insights, we will print them! “How can we work in our environment to shift current attitudes for the better?” or “What is needed next for our nation?” (with or without attribution, of course).
The warmest of wishes to each of you!
Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives