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Worried About America? 4 Ways You Can Help The Nation Heal Right Now

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This article is more than 3 years old.

To say that the United States is divided right now would be an enormous understatement. Many of us are shaken with disbelief at the scenes that have unfolded in the nation’s capital in recent days. Others of us have fallen into the cynical trap of saying “I told you so” to those who didn’t share our fears of this possibility all along.

But disbelief and cynicism won’t change America. Actions will. Not just any actions, though. Now is the time for actions, taken individually and collectively, that will ultimately help fortify the spirit of the nation and the souls of its citizens.

Sadly, there is no single textbook that can easily teach Americans how to reweave a sense of community and common cause with one another. Even in the age of ever-scrolling social media and non-stop streaming content, there is no short YouTube or TikTok video clip that can help us map out the long road of American resilience. Yes, there are roles for our leaders and our educators to help the nation bridge the deep fissures that divide us, but they cannot, and should not, bear the responsibility of healing the nation.

We must all do that together.

So, with that in mind, each of us, regardless of our passions and politics, now has the ability, and the imperative to help heal America. Through actions, and not just words, we can step into the breach and mind common ground to stand on with other Americans, even with those we deeply disagree with. The best part? Most of these actions cost nothing but our time and attention – both of which, even in small amounts, can help prevent even longer-term harm to the American experiment. 

Here are four those ideas that all of us can try in the weeks and months ahead to help heal our nation.

Soften Our Hearts. The past several years, particularly the past several months, have hardened the hearts of many Americans. As politics feels more like moral combat than a debate over ideas, many of us have built up layers of steely mental armor that we use to navigate our increasingly treacherous civic landscape. Some moments, like the storming of the Capitol by violent protests, even validate why hard lines of defense are necessary to protect not only the heart of our Republic, but the heart of our citizens as well. 

But a hardened heart doesn’t beat as well, and it certainly doesn’t swell with compassion for others. If Americans are going to rededicate themselves to the pursuit of a “more perfect union,” then citizens from all parts of the political spectrum are going to need to intentionally soften their hearts and embrace a spirit of empathy and understanding of one another. Even by just being aware of how our hearts are hardening, and being conscientious of how it makes us feel (or not feel), we can begin to make a difference.

Engage in Civic Storytelling. One of the best ways to help soften our hearts is to hear one another’s stories. I’m not referring to the bite-sized narratives that we post on Instagram or Snapchat, nor the articles and tweets that we share as proxies to our own beliefs. I mean real stories of personal experience living and struggling in America – the stories of oppression and endurance, and of privilege and perseverance. For far too long, Americans focused on shaping narratives, not sharing them. If the United States is going to find a way to better share our nation, then we need to get better at sharing stories.

So how can we do this? First by rewarding those who tell our collective stories with our attention and support. There are many journalists and writers who try to tell the stories of Americans in raw and real terms, but they can’t do it for free. Investing in journalism is ultimately an investment in ourselves. Similarly, we must commit to training ourselves to tell our stories and listen to the stories of others, not merely by social media, but in our public squares and in our private homes. Only by honestly sharing experiences can we hear the truth in one another’s perspectives.

Listen and Lead Locally.  Perhaps the most misleading aspect of our polarized political landscape right now is the belief that all politics are national. But that isn’t the case. In fact, the most relevant political decisions that impact our daily lives are largely shaped by our local civic leadership. Criminal justice reform largely depends on the leadership of local police and civic leadership. Economic advancement and social welfare support? That too depends on decision makers in your town, city, or state. Yet most of us have very little knowledge about the policies of our local leaders, and some of us don’t even know who those leaders are. Plus, most of us have never imagined running for a local office or political position.

That needs to change. Each of us has a far greater ability to influence our local politics than our national politics, not only by paying attention, but also by getting involved. Sure, not all of us can be on city councils or in state legislatures, but we can dig into the policies that are shaping our communities and find ways to be allies and advocates for the causes we care about. By reading local news, attending virtual town halls, and supporting local leaders, we can begin to build a deeper sense of civic connectedness, and trust, on the grassroots level of our country.

Change the Channel. Over the past nine months, as many of us have been ensconced in our homes, we have also become ensconced in our thought bubbles. We scurry down the rabbit holes of our firmly held beliefs, watching our channels of choice, without thinking about the power of choosing. Even when we do explore other news channels and information sources, it is often for the purpose of voyeurism, and not for value. In some ways, it’s like all of America has lost the remote control and we are too tired to get up and try to find it.

For us to heal our nation, we not only need to plug into our stories, our local communities and ourselves, but we also need to unplug from those things that contribute to our anger and our fear. That doesn’t mean turn we should a blind eye or tune-out to what is difficult to hear. But it does mean finding ways to distance ourselves from some of the angry noise and social media fear-mongering that make us feel helpless and upset. Changing the channel doesn’t need to be an act of avoidance. It can be an exercise of choice – of choosing to see something different that might help us learn to think about possibilities, not just problems.

Because the possibilities are what can unite us.

The past twelve months (or four years, or two decades), while jarring, have created a profound mirror moment for the United States. While it is easy to blame our political adversaries for what has happened to America, the truth is that WE are what has happened to America. WE have made choices, both individually and collectively, about how we want to conduct ourselves as a nation. But that doesn’t mean we can’t change course and do better. Each of us has the ability to heal our communities and our nation, and ultimately ourselves. We can say “this is not us.” But just saying it won’t be enough.

It’s time we do something about it.

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