Herald readers Wednesday were asked to share their suggestions for reuniting the country after the divisive, yearlong presidential election campaign.
Suggestions ranged from getting U.S. troops out of Iraq, to firing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, to Democrats compromising with the administration.
The responses to the question of what President Bush should do to reunite the nation may indicate just how divided we might be.
“I don’t think President Bush needs to do anything,” said Monika Galioto of Everett. “It’s up to the opposition to extend themselves to work with the president in bringing the country back together. They need to get over the ‘We hate Bush’ attitude.”
Many readers noted that nearly half the electorate voted for Sen. John Kerry. That, they said, means nearly half of all voters oppose the president’s policies, values and leadership.
Lian Morrison of Lynnwood suggested the president needs a realistic plan for Iraq, “not his ideological vision.”
Morrison said the president should be honest and “stop trying to scare everyone into relinquishing their personal freedoms and choices – which is specifically what the terrorists want, by the way.”
Others said the results were decisive, which means the country is not really split.
“It was a very strong win for Bush, with more than 3.5 million votes more than Kerry,” said Kathy Hayes of Edmonds. “I think this means that the American people are with Bush and like his moral integrity.”
Fran Partrick of Camano Island said the president “will do what is necessary to bring together a country which is not as divided as the news media would have us believe.”
Others would caution Bush to take steps now, instead of waiting.
“If he continues to talk about bridging the gap and doing nothing to accomplish it, we will just become more fragmented,” said Margaret Ford of Lynnwood.
In Edmonds, Joe Hamelin said healing would be easier if the president stopped “using the word ‘liberal’ like most people use the word ‘pedophile.’”
To Therese Quinn, the president could start the healing by including people of color, immigrants, refugees, single mothers and families who have lost their living-wage jobs in the decision-making process.
“No matter how I feel about the election results for our president, I think it is important not to let ourselves become even more divided,” Quinn said.
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
This story uses information from The Herald’s Reader Network, a group of Snohomish County citizens who have agreed to be contacted by e-mail for their views on important topics.
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