Dear President-Elect,

Cyrus Radfar on originally posted on Medium
3 min read

As progressives, it’s important we set aside our personal feelings about the man for the greater good. That we conscientiously support and kindly work with the new leadership to continue to protect the rights of many who can’t do so today. We can’t do that from the outside. We can’t try to work with someone on one hand while attacking him with the other.

Mr. President-Elect, you’ve said the system is ‘rigged’ and I’d agree. It’s rigged against minorities and the many of those across rural America who have supported you. There is systemic racism that’s baked in law and practice. There are huge economic biases against the undereducated and those that lack wealth.

I will sacrifice globalization and increases in immigration for reforming America’s justice system, understanding that love is love, accepting our social responsibility to limit our impact on the environment, cracking down on racial profiling and leveling the playing field for many who have been systemically attacked by our ‘rigged’ system.

I’m hopeful you believe that every American citizen matters, no matter their race, religion, sexual orientation, or place of origin. I’ll let go of the many missteps and campaign trail gaffs. I’ll chalk it up to a person who isn’t a polished politician who means well. I’ll rationalize that you’re someone who would win at all costs because he believed it was necessary to move the country forward.

Candidly, I don’t know what direction you want to move yet and am awaiting your first-100 day plan and appointments.

I will accept that a more insular foreign policy is something that I’ve never experienced in my lifetime. I’ll embrace the unknown. It’s possible I’m wrong and it could be a boon for American labor and our economy, as a whole. The macroeconomic theory that top economists accepted may not be the practical truth. What’s best for large firms may not be best for the worker on “Main Street” — at least in any short or medium term horizon.

Let’s start the conversation.

We all have to mend the broken bonds between neighbors, friends, and families across our country. I’m at the table and I hope that my peers are, as well.

There’s a lot of work to do.

Further Reading

If you’re looking for more rousing prose on healing a divided nation, I’d recommend you read President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address from 1961.

So let us begin anew — remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.

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