It's Up To Each of Us

I've read and heard many things about the U.S. political candidates in the last few months.  But a couple phrases in particular caught my eye.

• "The president divides us"
• "The president must unite us"

There's no doubt that the behavior and policies of the country's leader have enormous ramifications for the people of this country and the rest of the world.  

But that neighbor across the street, who doesn't think the way I do?  Whatever rift exists between the two of us, the president did not create it, and the president will not resolve it.

That colleague who sometimes makes comments I don't like?  If we don't get along, it's not because the president is dividing us. And changing the president is unlikely to magically bring the two of us together.

We unite ourselves, and we divide ourselves.

If I truly want to help the country come together, maybe I can start by being 10% more willing to listen to the people who don't think, talk and look just like me.