Trying political times give a chance to unify as nation
The political circus that has been playing out on national television networks — both before and after the failed Republican health care vote — is another clear-cut sign that we need far more unity among our lawmakers in Washington at a time when our citizens are looking to come together.
As warring politicians battled along party lines last week, many Americans were left wondering if any of them realized that they were supposed to be working toward improving the quality and affordability of health care in this country — not scoring cheap political points and committing to undoing the work of the previous administration, no matter the cost.
With each failure to reach a compromise, it became increasingly clear that not only are our two major political parties divided, but so are the powerful factions of lawmakers within the parties themselves. What our country needs most right now is unity, not this divisive back-and-forth that has been playing out every night on network news.
Yes, our government is rooted in open dialogue, but it shouldn’t come at the expense or safety of our citizens’ health.
Politicians looking for inspiration should look no further than Brockton, where Mayor Bill Carpenter used his recent State of the City address to talk about unity and the importance of working hand in hand with other political leaders. He even had Republican Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito join me in introducing him — that’s bipartisanship.
At a time when Americans are looking to come together after an extremely divisive election and a series of bruising political battles in Washington, D.C., I’d like to see more wellinformed, experienced and patriotic mainstream Americans on national TV delivering their messages in a more bipartisan way. I’d like to hear them explain the issues and challenges we face, rather than listen to political consultants whose only experience is watching other reporters tell us what’s going on thousands of miles away.
Someone should remind these politicians that their first and most important responsibility is to keep our citizens safe. And unity by our government in a time of danger must be paramount. The men and women who serve us overseas deserve better than seeing a divided government playing out every night on television and on the internet.