President Donald Trump is drawing a line between those who support him and everyone else. He is also placing those of color and outspoken women in the “everyone else” category.
We, the people, now have a decision to make. Do we work for unity in the spirit of these “United States” or do we accept the divisive message of the president?
Unity gives us the strength of diversity and the opportunity to make use of the talents and energy of all of our citizens so that we can prosper in a world that is becoming increasingly competitive. This is the win/win choice in which we all benefit. It’s also the morally correct thing to do. That’s another win.
Division keeps entire groups of people from contributing to the common good so that those who are on top for now can be big fish in an increasingly shrinking pond. It is a win/lose choice in the short run and a lose/lose choice in the long run.
The U.S. made its greatest strides as a melting pot in which people of diverse backgrounds from all parts of the world came and quickly forged unity both in spite of and because of their diversity. We can do this again and again. The choice is entirely in our hands and in our votes.
ROBERT J. REILAND
O’Hara
