Now that the dust is settling on elections, perhaps we can take a step back and look at what leadership is. 

Leaders create common ground, unity in diversity. Not “party unity,” rather human equality and unity focused on our quality of life, of dignity and well-being for each and every person as a human being. 

Partisanship creates separation. In virtually every campaign, national and local, Democrat and Republican, we saw divisive mud-slinging, finger-pointing and blaming. Some was blatant, some subtle or socially acceptable. Some candidates hypocritically claimed no party agenda, collaboration and leadership. Divisiveness doesn’t go away; it remains underneath any apparent politeness. 

With the help of the media and marketing, we ignore the lack of leadership and get caught up in and feed the political drama of mercenary competition. 

Each party will now privately create agendas so that rather than cooperation, there will be power plays. The best we can hope for is compromise, which history shows us is unstable and so unsustainable. 

Perhaps one day we will seek to elect only true leaders. For now, it’s time to lead our lives with dignity and find our own unity with others.

Lucira Jane Nebelung

Niantic