There are more people out there who want to make this democracy work than those who do not
I absolutely hate political ads. They are usually nasty, formulaic, contradictory. Each will point out that candidate X is a lying, untrustworthy person who will destroy the very fabric of society. Candidate Y, however, will fix everything, if only I cast my vote their way. Switch candidates and repeat, repeat, repeat. Eventually they are recognizable by the tone of voice. My husband and I race for the remote to mute them, even when we agree with them.
We cast our ballots and awaited the outcomes with bated breath – with some cheers, some groans. Now, after days of counting, we have a new president. But the honest truth is that we are going to remain heavily divided.
Related: Can Joe Biden avoid Obama’s mistakes? He must – for the future of the party | David Sirota
Elections do not mute political animosity. We, the people, save our democracy when we reconnect at the personal level.
Susan Bro works as an advocate for positive social change through the Heather Heyer Foundation and hate crime legislation