Common ground

I am writing in response to Christin Liverance's article entitled "Americans need to grow up before it becomes too late," which can be found here.

I would first like to mention that I agree with the vast majority of her comments. I too am thankful that the election is over. Although I am not pleased with the results, I have taken down my posters, removed my stickers, and took off my John Kerry pin as to not be a sore looser. I encourage the 'winners' of this election to do the same to promote unity. I also agree with Christin that the acts of violence demonstrated against the Republican Party headquarters and elsewhere were completely uncalled for and send negative messages of hatred and immaturity that Republicans will surely place on the shoulders of the Democratic Party. Democracy only works when we respect the opinions of others. The biggest problem I have with Christin's argument is her complete contradiction of thought in adjacent paragraphs. First she announces that "what makes this country great is tolerance for those ideas that are different from our own." I could not agree more; but in the next paragraph she declares that if someone doesn't like the policies, they are free to leave. (I am reminded of the South park episode of the hippies vs. the cowboys) This is no way to promote unity after a bitterly divided election. Telling people who disagree with your opinion to leave does not show that you are willing to work to understand the viewpoints of others. We need to stop looking at these issues as 'right' and 'wrong'. Instead we should look at difference in opinion as a difference in perspective. I like to play soccer, others like to play football. Does this mean that football should be banned and only soccer allowed? Of course not. What is right for me is not necessarily right for every other person and I should not demand that other people live by my principles. Only through attempting to view things from a perspective other than our own will be able to replace ignorance and hatred with understanding and acceptance. Stop labeling people as conservative or liberal, smart or stupid, right or wrong. While I recognize that the majority of America has spoken, and GW will be the president for the next for years, I want to remind him and everyone else that just because majority wins, doesn't mean that the minority goes away.