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To the Journal eeditor:
Every week, standard news cycles and social media algorithms urge us toward outrage, division and seeing those with whom we disagree as adversaries. In our deeply polarized culture, where everyone seems to be shouting and few are listening, we are constantly tempted to reduce our neighbors to political factions, demographics, or voting blocs.
As a middle school literature teacher, I begin every lesson with an “I Can” statement--a clear, daily practice my students can carry out the door. Amid today's political tension, our entire community could benefit from adopting a practical goal: “I can see the fundamental human dignity in my neighbor today.”
There is a timeless story about a hot-button political trap where Jesus was asked whether it was right to pay taxes to an oppressive empire. Holding up a silver coin, he asked whose image was stamped on it. When told it was Caesar’s, he replied to give to the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and to God what belongs to God.
The underlying truth is profound: currency may bear the face of a government or economic system, but human beings do not. Regardless of our backgrounds, political affiliations, or lawn signs, every person carries an inherent, irreplaceable value that no political party or cultural movement owns.
We must engage in civic life, vote, and care for our local communities. But we do not have to surrender our conscience to political outrage or fear. When we look past the noise, labels, and rhetoric, we find that the person sitting across the aisle--or down the street--deserves our respect and kindness. Today, let's choose to look past the divisions and see the inherent worth in every neighbor we meet.