To the Editor:

The days leading up to the big presidential reveal were filled with anxiety and caution for some, however, were menial in comparison to the past several years of mounting division our country has borne. Many would argue that President Trump is fault for spurring this national partition that has causing millions great suffering whether under racial oppression, false accusation, or refusal to even be heard out. Yet, the expanses of his wrongs were echoed by supporters, then retaliated against thus commencing a hurtful battlefield that melted America into polarizing sides engulfing anything they touched. Matters of public health, environmental stewardship, and even compassionate actions have become political grenades in our current America – something’s got to give.

At approximately 11 a.m. on the unusually temperate Saturday November morning, electoral votes gushed in putting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris over the tipping point to officially become president-elect and vice president-elect of the United States of America – alas, something gave. New York City hollered in the streets, but here in the Ocean State, this news effervesced more subtly.

Rhode Islanders that managed to peel their eyes off news broadcasts and ventured out to absorb the last tang of summer before a chilled New England winter may have felt a distantly familiar sense of peace. Public oases were spectacles of reedy crowds of families, dogs, surfers, and visitors peppering the beach and park landscapes laughing and playing in the blushed sinking sun. Many of us have known days like this before, but this one felt different. It felt like maybe tomorrow, even if it was pouring, we would make the decision to extend the amity of this warm November day to remind us of the good that has been hard to see amongst the unprecedented tribulations of our shared reality.

Electing a new president and vice president will not change the divided state of our nation much like a perfect day in November does dislodge the challenges arisen from the year we’ve all endured. Nevertheless, it gives us hope. Maybe Saturday Nov. 7, 2020, will mark in history a day of renewal. From now on, days full of hope and peace could be our new normal, not of dread or division, but of warmth and compassion. President-elect Biden has made it clear, it’s time to heal, but it won’t be accomplished unless we expend effort to be decent to each other. Unless we the people enact the changes to give way for a new America, that very well resembles the one may have once known and loved, nothing will change.

We, Rhode Island, must renew our hearty hope, the hope that we printed so proudly on our flag, and become an example of unity we once have been known to be. We must wear our masks to respect the possible vulnerability of our community members. We’ve got to be welcoming to our neighbors, despite if they are “from here” or not. We mustn’t embargo friendships or family members over political disagreements but lead our relationships with empathy and mercy. We have to make the choice, even on days of chilling hardship, to close the divide of hate and to ensure the promise of warm days ahead, for everyone.

With this, we may become the model to afresh the rest of our country and give our world hope. Someday the virus will subside, similarly the ugly systems that oppress the marginalized communities, and overlooked environs will be eradicated in America. Yet, these dreams won’t be actualized until decency and respect is restored. By way of hope and compassion, we can be the early November 70 degree day reminding our country that is stuck in a season of divided bitterness, what our world will be like in peace.

Emily Marquardt

Narragansett