Clean Speech Colorado couldn’t have come at a better time. Regardless of Tuesday’s ultimate outcome, emotions are running high. I’ve seen firsthand in the Jewish community fissures that have deepened with the Biden-Trump election.
While most American Jews are squarely in the Biden camp, there is a significant minority who support Trump. It’s true, many of these are Orthodox Jews, but what most of these Jewish Trump supporters have in common is that Israel ranks extremely high on their list of priorities when considering who to vote for. As Israel for many represents the factor that ensures Jewish existence, it’s no surprise that they care deeply about the future of the Jewish state.
On the other side, Biden supporters are equally passionate about values they feel the Trump administration has undermined: civility, human rights, racial justice, immigration, to name a few.
People have different priorities. That’s why we have different parties, different platforms, different candidates. But what’s happening is that we’re forgetting that it’s OK for people to vote differently. We have divided the two sides into warring factions. I’ve seen people attack each other when a person talks about who they voted for, and why. One choice is considered “wrong,” one is “right.”
The truth is, we need different political beliefs to thrive. I don’t want to live in a one-party system — even if it were my party. We need diversity of thought, we need compromise. We need checks and balances. That’s how we grow and develop as people, and that’s how we will continue to grow and develop as a nation.
In the premiere episode of Clean Speech TV, featured guests including Gov. Polis and Ean Seeb talked about the importance of respecting our neighbors and not judging people according to who they voted for. That might sound fantastical right about now, but it’s a goal we should be striving for. Hopefully Clean Speech Colorado will help us get there.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at [email protected]
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