Everyone matters
(Candidate is in front of cameras.)
(Pleasantries, small rant about state of affairs)
We all have friends who like to call out and lampoon our other friends who aren’t as entrepreneurial or educated, patriotic or faithful. What’s striking isn’t the mutual hatred. It’s how we all let it fester. The greatest divide that hurts most, is over values. No other institution exemplifies this gulf than our party, because our party has 2 traditions.
Cosmopolitans are distinguished university professors, successful entrepreneurs, restless activists and clear thinkers. They teach the world’s best and brightest. Create businesses for new markets. Mold and shape our country’s reputation and write tomorrow’s textbooks. Most believe that social justice is only a victory away and consistently fight for universal dignity. Many are immigrants, who make our country stronger and represent the best of what we stand for. Cosmopolitans work tirelessly to inspire belief in our country at home and abroad.
Patriots are community pillars. They cook our food, sweep our streets, represent workers, and fight our wars. They continue to look out for their town even when all seems lost. They live the meager existence that newspapers write about, but don’t expect a handout or even a hand up. Most patriots are compassionate, and want to see an end to the government’s inhumane practices. But they also want to make sure everybody chips in, and doesn’t take advantage. Patriots aren’t nationalists, they love their country even when it goes wrong. They help the struggling and inspire the striving to be successful
For many years, both traditions coexisted. No longer. Uneasy over equal marriage, irritable over immigration, hostile over Europe. We must acknowledge our division so we can learn to love one another again. If we can do that, we can teach the whole country to love one another again. Then, we win.
Some believe that returning to old values will connect us to a patriotic majority. Others believe doubling down on righteous rebuke will create a cosmopolitan majority. Both are as short sighted as they are idiotic, self centered, and egotistical. There is no new majority of people I agree with. Especially when money, borders, laws and morals divide us all. Our party’s revolutionary idea is, despite that, we all have more in common than we’d like to admit.
Rebuilding this coalition is not just for equity but reconciliation. One tribe can’t make change. To create change, we need to work with people. People we don’t like, don’t understand, and don’t empathize with. In order to trust each other, we recognize our common goal. Every job should have meaning and dignity. Every family and home should be safe. Everyone needs something to live for.
We can’t win by doubling down against eurosceptic racists or arrogant eurocrats. We won’t win by being for and against all the time. Everyone matters. We need both Yes and No, both Remain and Leave, both university and factory, both North and South, both Scotland and England. And until we realize that our party needs to reconcile each other’s grievances and love one another, our house will not stand. I don’t pretend to have the answers, but I will not let our house fall.
END
