Have you lost a friend over your political beliefs? I have yet to “lose” a friend, however, I have lost some followers on social media following a political post. Why can’t we think differently from one another? Our differences are what make us who we are. The country has never been so divided in my lifetime, but to even have a chance at more unity, we need to identify what it is that’s tearing us apart.

I vote Republican down the ballot, but that doesn’t mean I believe in or agree with everything the candidates stand for. We should not be defined by or stereotyped according to our party affiliation. Instead, I believe that issue-based politics, our feelings on different issues, tells much more about one’s character. There is plenty of common ground on issues between the two parties, but instead the focus seems to be on the argumentative ones. Instead of jumping to conclusions and grouping people together by party, I believe we should try to understand the reasons they voted that way and what’s most important to them. Without open-minded curiosity and respect for others’ views, political division will never improve. While doing so, I think it’s important to remember we all have our own beliefs and biases. I’m bias to Republican beliefs. We don’t have to avoid political conversation if we can acknowledge this! Agreeing doesn’t matter; understanding and respect are essential for unity!

I believe one of the biggest political dividers, especially today, is fear. MSM and the Biden administration have done a great job at portraying Republicans as domestic terrorists, racists, fascists, transphobic, you name it. Rather than debating Republican stances, name calling seems to be their go-to attack. I think it’s important to realize that our perception of the other side is often based on the extremes communicated to us by politicians and spokespeople. In reality, most people have a more moderate stance on issues. There are leaders who almost seem to encourage polarization. Joe Biden is the perfect example! Division will continue to grow as long as fear is fueled by MSM and politicians who seek to tear us apart rather than bring us together.

Politics are a dirty game! I have been asked before if I’d ever run for office. For my families’ sake, I would not (not now, at least). The negative campaigning and attacks on both sides are vicious and polarizing. On top of that, MSM’s unfair biases intensify political division. Let’s take the media’s deep hate for Trump as an example.

Do you believe Trump is the reason our country is so divided? I believe to an extent, yes, but why I think that is the most telling. Believe it or not, MSM used to respect him. He had a decent enough relationship to be offered an NBC show, “The Apprentice”, that aired from 2004-2015. Do you know who at NBC gave him that job? Jeff Zucker, who is now President of CNN. There are multiple pictures from the past of them together, friendly. Trump knew that running for president would change his relationship with the media. When he was going down the elevator in Trump Tower to announce his candidacy, he said before stepping out “now we find out who our real friends are”. President Trump knew there was a great amount of corruption in Washington DC and the media. Exposing this was the single greatest threat to them. How could they stop him from doing so? Their strategy was to villainize not only Trump, but all of his supporters. From name calling, to reporting negative stories about him (true or not) and labeling everything that came out of his mouth as a lie, MSM’s hate for Trump runs deep and they give him no grace. I hope CNN’s Q4 73% drop in primetime viewership is an indication that people are waking up to this. So yes, the threat of Trump helped launch deep division, but he is not the one we should blame.

Trump’s image was created by the biased media. For whatever reason, mainstream media and journalism are overwhelmingly liberal. According to the Media Research Center, from June 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020 ABC, CBS and NBC aired nine times as much coverage of Trump, while protecting Biden while he campaigned in his basement. Of that coverage, 95% was NEGATIVE. Evaluative statements of Joe Biden were 67% positive! (MRC). Biden’s policy positions, past job performance and failures were ignored. If MSM had a problem with him campaigning from his basement, they sure didn’t show it! This isn’t journalism, it’s a smear campaign. The credibility of the story doesn’t matter; if MSM hears something negative about Trump they run with it. The Russia Hoax ended up being just that, a hoax. This may be news to some of you because MSM has failed to report on it. It takes a lack of morality to ignore the truth and be unapologetic after years of spreading misinformation. Talk about election interference! Regardless of what side you are on, media bias cannot be denied. I would encourage everyone to do their own research. You will be shocked! (I recommend the search engine DuckDuckGo, where stories that aren’t in favor of Democrats aren’t censored).

President Biden ran his campaign on promising unity. A president for ALL Americans! “I will work to be a president who seeks not to divide, but unify”, he said. Well, he’s sure doing a terrible job at that. He’s inciting a war on the unvaccinated. He continues to call this a “Pandemic of the unvaccinated”, which simply isn’t true. Everyone is at risk, whether they’re vaccinated or not. I believe he chooses to blame the unvaccinated because if he didn’t, he would have to admit that the message he’s been sending the past year has been wrong. So much of his message has been proven untrue. Rather than taking accountability, “changing science” and “the unvaccinated” are the scapegoats. In September, Biden said, “to the vaccinated, I understand your anger towards the unvaccinated. We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us”. It has been scientifically proven that the vaccine will not prevent you from contracting Covid-19. Why is he insulting the people he wants to persuade? It’s rhetoric like this that’s inciting fear and segregation. As long as the unvaccinated are shamed and treated like the plague, we don’t stand a chance at unity.

Political division is inevitable and unfortunately, something that will never go away. I don’t think that getting a Republican back in the White House will solve our problems, but I do believe that Biden will continue to add fuel to divisiveness. It is my hope that people are starting to open their eyes, especially those who voted for Biden because they didn’t like Trump. Trump may not have been the “nicest” and he definitely could have kept his mouth shut at times, but I believe it’s important for a President to be tough. China wanted Biden to win. Why do you think our biggest competitor would want him to win? Because Trump was tough on China! No one messed with us. We didn’t hear about Isis for four year and within a few months of Biden’s presidency, they’re suddenly back. Character is absolutely important, but these things cannot be ignored. At the end of the day, I’m voting for the candidate who makes me feel safest (extra money in my wallet doesn’t hurt either). I’m terrified for the next three years of this senile man in the White House. The damage he’s caused in a quick year has been catastrophic and should concern every American.

So how can we do our part to become a more united country? I’m not an expert but think we need to stop jumping to conclusions based on party affiliation. Ask questions, try to understand others’ views and be open-minded. There’s no need to think negatively about someone because of their truths. I have plenty of liberal friends and they know where I stand. We don’t need to shun people who think differently than we do. It’d be a boring world if everyone felt and thought the same! We need to keep in mind, just as our beliefs and values are important to us, others’ are just as important to them. Let’s strive to be more tolerant, understanding and respectful and we can make this world a better place! God Bless the USA! 🇺🇸

-Nikki