As Americans watched the news in anticipation of the election results this past week, the partisan divide in American politics was clear to see. Now that it has been projected that Joe Biden will serve as our 46th president, and that Senator Kamala Harris will serve as our 46th vice president, we must come together as a nation – a democracy – and continue to inspire the change and growth of every facet of our American way of life. 

More than 150 million Americans voted this election cycle – the highest turnout in the history of a US General Election. Whether it be on either side of the political aisle, we saw supporters enthusiastically cheer on their candidates and embrace their own ideals. We saw candidates making their final pitches to voters. But more importantly, we saw the massive partisan divide in America – one that will continue to grow if we don’t heal as a nation. One thing is clear for sure: Democrats and Republicans just don’t seem to get along. 

Voters were split on topics like the coronavirus, economy, race relations, and our justice system. In Washington D.C., Portland, and NYC, there were protests mixed with counter protests. Some fights turned into violence and hatred. It was clear to see that we lived in a deeply politically polarized era. 

Sometimes, we as Americans are so fixated on finding labels for ourselves, such as whether we are Democrat or Republican, or if we are liberal or conservative. In the midst of all these labels, we forget who we really are: Americans. 

We can all come from different backgrounds, have different attitudes about controversial political topics, or even blatantly disagree with each other about America’s future. But the one thing we can learn from the 2020 Election is that we all have the common goal of inspiring change and growth in America, even if we have different ways to accomplish this goal. This can start in our local community, even here at Morris Hills. After all, America is a melting pot of new ideas and opinions, and as Voltaire once said, “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”