COLUMN: America at a Crossroads, The Need for Unity in the Face of Division

Former President Donald Trump’s running mate Sen. J. D. Vance speaking with attendees at The People’s Convention at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan (Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore, Flickr). By Dr. James S. Bridgeforth, M.Ed. In a year plagued by unprecedented division and conflict, it is disheartening to witness presidential and vice-presidential candidates exploiting our nation’s fractures rather than seeking to heal them.& Since 2016, America has endured a gauntlet of challenges: the horrifying anti-Semitic march in Charlottesville, the tragic death of George Floyd, the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and the high-profile conviction of a former president.& Whether you lean left or right, these past eight years have been undeniably turbulent. What we need now, more than ever, is a leader who will unite us, not further tear us apart. Yet, amid this turmoil, we see vice-presidential hopeful J.D. Vance championing a proposal that would further fracture our society—a plan to grant more voting power to parents while relegating “childless” Americans to second-class status. This proposal is not just problematic; it’s a blatant affront to our democratic ideals and a regression that undermines the progress we’ve made toward equality. Historically, automatic voting rights have...