“Here at home there is an unease and a fear that drives the public debates and our public policies in ways that divide us one from one another. Elections are run by those who seek so-called wedge issues that prey on misinformation and demonization of the opposition. We hear that illegal aliens are taking our jobs, that women get the work that should be going to men, and some minority groups are described as lazy, violent, and ignorant. [...] I believe we must seize every opportunity to eliminate those who use the public discourse to spread that kind of misinformation and sow the seeds of disunity among us.”
In our Quote of the Week, Sargent Shriver reminds us that to foster unity, we must work together to eliminate the fear and unease that pull us apart. He calls out the spread of “misinformation” and points out that we must not pay attention to political talking points that have no substance and that are crafted merely to scare and divide us.
Speaking at Washington and Lee University in 2002, Sargent Shriver gave a positive and heartwarming speech to graduates and invited guests. He started with the message: “I wish I were you,” pointing out that his young audience was well positioned to “make the 21st century what it should be, a new unified, compassionate, courageous and peaceful century!” As we now head towards the end of the second decade of this century, there is much work to be done to create an environment that empowers and that provides opportunity to all of us, including our most vulnerable brothers and sisters. On a variety of issues from immigration to poverty to justice reform, too often we hear arguments from our leaders and from our neighbors that are meant to generate mistrust: and these arguments result, at times, in cruel policies that harm those who can least afford setbacks.
As we move forward, let us remember Sargent Shriver’s words and let us commit to creating the unified, compassionate, courageous, and peaceful century that he envisioned. Let us not be distracted by hate and negativity. Let us speak up with our leaders and with each other to defend what we value most: family, love, justice, equality, and opportunity for all. If we want a more loving world, it’s up to all of us to create it.
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