Craig S. Johnson: A New Year’s wish we probably won’t grant ourselves

To The Daily Sun,

As we turn the calendar to a new year, I have a simple wish — one that may irritate people on both sides of the aisle, which probably means it’s worth saying.

What if, just for this year, we tried listening again?

Somewhere along the way, disagreement became disloyalty, and questions became attacks. We stopped debating ideas and started assigning motives. We stopped arguing policy and started arguing character.

Both sides do it.

A strong country doesn’t require uniform thinking — it requires durable relationships. The ability to disagree without destroying one another. The humility to admit we don’t have a monopoly on truth, and the confidence to defend our beliefs without dehumanizing someone else’s.

So here’s my New Year’s wish:

Less outrage. More conversation.

Less labeling. More listening.

Less “us versus them.” More “we live here together.”

We don’t need to agree.

We just need to remember we’re neighbors first.

Happy New Year.

Craig S. Johnson

Meredith