Tackle racism Fix the GOP Step up

Third, when it comes to making a difference, it’s time for Connecticut to address head on the systems and structures that perpetuate racial inequality — from schools to land use to employment discrimination. There have been murmurings at the Capitol that with the pandemic still raging and lawmakers operating remotely, meaningful change may get delayed until 2022. That should not happen. These issues have been papered over for decades. The time is now.

Fourth, the Republican Party in Connecticut needs to fix itself. Too many of its leaders fell into lockstep with the Trump playbook of demonization, starting with outgoing chair J.R. Romano. The Republican Party has a long history in Connecticut of fiscal conservatism paired with social moderation, but the increasing polarization of the electorate has muted many reasonable voices.

There are signs of a resurgence, with New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart stepping up and

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton crossing the aisle to join the Lamont administration. The party can be a force for positive change — but it needs to resist the temptation to pull out the Trump playbook in the coming years.

Finally, with the temperature of the nation finally beginning to cool, each one of us now has the chance to take a step back and ask ourselves what can we do to make a difference, to help rebuild our tattered society. It can be as simple as refraining from posting that snarky comment on Facebook or Twitter or taking a moment to have a conversation with someone with whom you disagree.

“We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal,” Biden said Wednesday. “We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts, if we show a little tolerance and humility and if we are willing to stand in the other person’s shoes as my mom would say — just for a moment stand in their shoes because here’s the thing about life, there’s no accounting for what fate will deal you.”

After four years of chaotic leadership that fomented division and hostility, the nation is breathing easier. It’s OK to savor this time, to look around and maybe see the world through a different lens for a moment.

But not too long. There’s work to be done.