The Difference

What separates Republicans and Democrats? 

If you were asked this question around a family dinner or gathering you would take a deep breath before answering. Chances are that a million policy differences would be floating around in your head. You'd be thinking about clear distinctions in foreign policy, fiscal policy, immigration policy, education, the environment, women's rights, LGBT rights, voting rights, and the social safety net just to name a few. You'd also have to mention ideas about the size and role of government, which is a defining difference between the two major parties, especially during this day and age. You'd most likely cite historical examples in your answer, being careful to note that the parties have swapped core beliefs over time. It would undoubtedly be a loaded question, and it would be one that would take careful consideration before delving into.  

And yet, what we saw these past four days showed that there is one critical difference that separates modern-day Democrats from their Republican counterparts: empathy. 

It is empathy that gives us as Democrats purpose. It is empathy for immigrants and refugees even if we have been here for generations. It is empathy for those who are discriminated against simply for sharing a different god than us. It is empathy for the LGBTQ community, even if we do not identify as such. It is empathy for the American farmer, or the Black small business owner, or the California restaurant owner, or the Ohio married couple struggling to keep afloat, even if we ourselves are financially sound. It is empathy for those whose lives have been shattered by gun violence, even if we have never shared that experience. It is empathy for women to make their own health care choices, even if we are men. And it is empathy for communities of color that have been decimated by centuries of systemic racism in education, housing, employment, and interactions with law enforcement even if we have never experienced it ourselves. 

Democrats reside in a big tent, but in that tent, they share this commonality. They share a common decency that aims to help those different from themselves. Whether it is from one's faith, one's upbringing, or one's personal experience, Democrats recognize the interconnectedness that we all share and that an injustice to one is an injustice against all as Kamala Harris so beautifully stated. They see those suffering as God's children and not as some hopeless cause. They don't accept this suffering an inevitable but ask how and why this is possible in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. Democrats know, as Michelle Obama eloquently shared, that our children are watching and learn from us from the youngest age. That is why we always do our best to see the humanity in those who have fallen upon hard times. It is our empathy that tells us that we are not so different and that with a simple stroke of misfortune, it could be us begging for food on that very same street corner.  

Next week, you will not see empathy. You will see fear. The Republican Party can only function by instilling a sense of fear and anxiety in its members. It is this fear that runs contrary to any sort of empathy or accountability. That homeless person is where he is because he made poor choices. That undocumented immigrant has been deported because he broke the law. That woman is sixteen and pregnant because she chose to be. That black teenager was shot because he turned and fled from the police. It is this worldview where Republicans blame individuals and refuse to acknowledge greater systemic injustices. Because to acknowledge systemic injustice would require systemic reform and requiring systemic reform would mean that somehow the system was inherently unfair to begin with. Republicans' entire worldview is based on the idea that individuals are responsible for their own choices and to imply that some aren't given a fair shot completely undermines their entire foundation. 

Instead of having these difficult conversations, Republicans resort to fear. A fear of these people who have made these bad choices. A fear that people of color will overrun suburban neighborhoods. A fear that undocumented immigrants will stream across our border to join gangs and cause chaos. A fear that refugees coming from war-torn countries are secretly terrorists. A fear that transgender soldiers will corrupt our military. A fear that women will kill unborn children for fun, reveling in the taking of life. A fear that those who worship differently are less patriotic and more dangerous in their communities. It is through these perceived fears that the Republican Party will attempt to portray themselves as saviors. It is through these fears that the Republican Party will attempt to win over the American public. 

But we are better than that. We are better than them. Their America, one of catastrophe and carnage, exists only in their minds. Our America, real America, is one where the good and the decent fight for what's right. Where we wear masks not only to protect ourselves and our loved ones but to protect our friends and neighbors as well. In our America, we unite and stock food pantries and give out food during a pandemic for all that need with no questions asked. In our America, we demand that black lives matter and that we reform a broken police system that has targeted and terrorized people of color for far too long. In our America, we unite behind a scrappy kid from Scranton and the child of immigrants who share with all of us that the best is yet to come. In our America, we continue to believe in hope: hope for today and hope for a better tomorrow for all people, not just a select few. It is that hope that drives us each and every day. 

And it is that hope that will make a victory possible on November 3rd.