ANSWERING A PLEA FOR UNITY; CONVERSATION ON FEB. 11

President Joe Biden used the word “unity” (or a variation of it) at least 10 times in his inaugural address. Yet, our country has never been more deeply divided — except during the Civil War. Even our national response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been factious.

Unity, Biden said, is the path forward. “We must meet this moment as the United States of America,” he told the country. “If we do that, I guarantee you we will not fail. We have never, ever, ever, ever failed in America when we’ve acted together.”

It’s the right message for these perilous times. But there’s a nagging, dis-unifying issue right in front of us: what to do about the insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Honestly, I’m a bit surprised by my own lack of certainty about what happens next. Don’t misunderstand: Any person who engages in violence or damages property should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. After all, a police officer lost his life at the hands of protesters. And, like many Americans, I won’t soon forget the images of destruction. The guilty must be held accountable.

Federal officials estimate that roughly 800 people overtook the Capitol that day.

While many committed crimes deserving of punishment, some committed infractions that were fueled by misguidedness. Believing that former President Trump invited their actions, they answered the call. In fact, as incredible as it seems, many may have thought they would be held up as heroes.

Justice Department officials promise to relentlessly identify and arrest the offenders. Already, 135 individuals have been charged. Most Americans agree: To discourage such conduct in the future, a forceful message must be sent. And that can only happen if the violence and mayhem of that day are punished.

But not everyone sees the wisdom in charging people whose sole offense was unlawful entry.

Polls show a majority of Republicans still don’t believe the election was legitimate. Many are downplaying the Capitol attack.

Can we move on without accountability? Writer Anand Giridharadas recently posted on social media: “Every time we turn away from accountability, we allow the needle to move. There just has to be a reckoning. You can’t reset unless you truth-tell and demand that people are held accountable for what they have done.”

What’s not clear is how to hold people accountable for breaking norms, ethics, and values — even threatening democracy. How does this promote unity?

That’s a question I’m going to ask Arthur Brooks, the author of a bestselling book called “Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America From the Culture of Contempt.”

Brooks will share his ideas for uniting the country at a virtual conversation at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, hosted by the National Conflict Resolution Center. (Information about this free event is at ncrconline.com.)

Brooks is the perfect speaker for this moment.

He is professor of the practice of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and professor of management practice at the Harvard Business School. Before joining the Harvard faculty in July 2019, Brooks served for 10 years as president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a leading think tank based in Washington, D.C.

Brooks was raised in a politically liberal city — Seattle — by liberal parents. But as his AEI stint would attest, his politics today are conservative. Brooks gave up his career as a classical French hornist to become a social scientist, earning a PH.D. in public policy. He’s a deep thinker and an interesting guy.

The host of “The Art of Happiness with Arthur Brooks” podcast, he considers the Dalai Lama among his friends and teachers. Brooks recently conducted his eighth interview the Dalai Lama, who talked at length about the oneness of human beings.

The president seems to have a similar vision. Biden said, “The answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who don’t look like you or worship the way you do, or don’t get their news from the same sources you do.

We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.”

Unity isn’t achieved by papering over disagreements for the sake of appearances. It’s about learning how to disagree better, and without contempt. That’s how we move forward.

I hope you’ll join the conversation on Feb. 11.