Trump, Obama set example for civility

Published 3:00 am Saturday, January 21, 2017

The months since the November 2016 general election have been contentious for many in America, as we’ve watched a political divide widen across the nation.

Passionate supporters of now President Donald Trump and the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton have sounded off, publicly and often. From “he’s not my president” to “crooked Hillary” the discourse has been less than civil, less than respectful.

But on Friday, America marked an incredible peaceful transition of power. At the inauguration of President Trump and Vice President Pence, we watched as political opponents stood side-by-side, in solidarity to support the nation and the Republic that has endured for more than 240 years.

Sign up for our daily email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

And no matter which side of the political aisle you support, we can all learn from their example.

While many Democratic politicians boycotted the inauguration, outgoing President Barack Obama and Clinton shook hands with Trump and wished each other well.

That’s what we have to do.

Whether you like Donald Trump or not, he is now the President of the United States.

It’s time we stop worrying so much about who the president is and focus back on treating each other right. Now is the time for us to make America a better place by simply deciding to love each other, despite the differences of opinion we may have.

Many of the problems in our country right now aren’t due to who is president or who is in office; they’re due to ability to empathize with others and respect the differing opinions. If we can put find a way to listen to each other instead of labeling each other, to find compromise instead of stubbornly trying to degrade each other; we can heal our nation.

By loving each other and being kind to those we come into contact with, we can make America great again.