And this has strained our bonds of understanding and common purpose. But Americans have a great advantage. To renew our unity, we only need to remember our values. We have never been held together by blood or background. We are bound by things as the spirit, by shared commitments to common ideals.
At our best we practice empathy, imagining ourselves in the lives and circumstances of of others. This is the bridge across our nation’s deepest divisions. And it’s not nearly a matter of tolerance. But of learning of the struggles and stories of our fellow citizens and finding our better selves in the process
.
