My View: After heated election, time for us to come together
Did you have a quiet Thanksgiving? Was it a lot quieter than even you had hoped?
At last, an extraordinarily long and vitriolic election season is behind us all. Or is it? Unfortunately, too many families and friends are still stinging from barbs and brickbats hurled at one another due to campaign rhetoric and election outcomes. As a result, many decided that breaking bread with those in the other camp was too much to endure even for one afternoon, so too many turkey leftovers went straight to the landfill.
I know what can happen in the heat of defending something in which you strongly believe. As humans, we’re passionate about causes that become part of us. As Americans, we fortunately are free to say how we feel as we stand up to be counted.
This freedom is what makes us a unique populace that has grown to become the envy of the world. It’s a reason millions – including our forebears – have crossed our borders to join the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
Keep in mind, unless you are a member of an indigenous community, we all came from somewhere else. That’s why it seems ironic that the borders are at the center of arguments that have come to divide us.
By no means am I trying to simplify the controversy over the borders. But because our ancestry made their way across them, I suggest we use this commonality as the starting point to rebuild bridges that bring us back together.
Let’s look ahead with high aspirations
Generations long before us made it a priority to create a government that would unite, not divide us, no matter our differences. When our nation’s founding fathers laid the foundation for the United States, they were smart of enough to realize they were trying to bring together people with different backgrounds leading to different beliefs. Simply put: One size would not fit all.
That led to the ingenious idea of three branches of the federal government: legislative, executive and judicial. With people flocking here from all corners, many had fled countries where control was in the hands of a few. But in the United States, the three branches were created to ensure no individual or group would have too much power. So, when arguments break out now over fears that one party is in charge, those speaking the loudest tend to forget about those branches.
When it does come time for change, we can turn to the ballot box as we recently did. Not everyone on the planet can do that. And to those who think that we have no say about the Supreme Court, think again. Yes, the president nominates someone to fill a vacancy and the Senate has to confirm that person. But who ultimately decides who is making any nomination or confirmation?
With the 2024 election behind us, I encourage you to look ahead with high aspirations. If you have perceptions of pending gloom and doom, keep in mind that our shared history supports the common belief that we still live in the best nation on earth.
I offer that solace because I remain an optimist about this country and what lies ahead – not just for a few but for all of us – with no small part played by the three branches. At the Arizona Technology Council, we will continue our practice of working closely with elected officials on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill, as well as the Arizona Capitol. Here’s the kicker: Many of these relationships actually have grown into friendships that support the best interests of one another.
As Americans, we don’t just border on greatness. With the help of one another, we have the opportunity to live it every day.
Steve Zylstra is president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.