Tolerance: Lessons from my candidacy
The first year of the Trump administration has taught me lessons about our country and reaffirmed basic truths about who we are as a people. This was also my first year since being a political candidate myself.
Running for office in 2016, I gained insights and knowledge from thousands of my neighbors in Orlando. I learned most people do not care what falls under state versus federal government. They want to know how to fix a problem or avoid one.
I met many people who agree with me, but I also encountered people with starkly different ideologies. I found many people on both camps demonize the other side. I attended a chamber of commerce event as a business owner where we were told Democrats are evil. I went to environmental rallies where I was told Republican corporate interests are all about greed.
I saw the gun debate up-close and personal after the Pulse nightclub tragedy. I heard members of the left criticize my gun ownership, while voices from the right claimed I would take away their guns. What I found was intolerance and an unwillingness to reach common ground.
I also saw contention from members of law enforcement. The Fraternal Order of Police Orlando Lodge invited me to a candidate screening, only to quickly kick me out. Earlier in the year, while serving as chair of the Citizens Police Review Board, I criticized the aggressive behavior of one of the officers. At my interview, the officers told me how surprised they were I even showed up.
While I had no expectation of receiving a police union’s endorsement, I attended the interview to start a conversation. As a candidate, I had committed to fostering better communication between the community and our police.
Community criticism is loudest when innocent people are seen being brutalized by police in eyewitness videos. Officers feel overlooked and unappreciated for their important and often dangerous work. But at the screening, I was sent away, as they would “not tolerate someone like me who disagreed with them” in their own building.
This is how division destroys us. We must do better. For the sake of the future of our children, we must not speak past each other and start speaking with each other. One does not have to give up personal convictions to do so. As a civilian — no longer a candidate — I plan to revisit these conversations, too.
I admit I began my campaign equally intolerant on political issues. My personal beliefs prevented compromise on many issues.
But I will listen, and I will teach my children to listen. Only then do we deserve to be heard.