Lately, I’ve had more than a few friends say the same thing: “I’m just done. Maybe it’s time to move to another country.” They’re not extremists. They’re thoughtful, curious people who care about fairness, decency, and doing the right thing. But they’re feeling cornered—torn apart by conflicting issues, with no way to process them. No shared language. No space to just think without being shoved into a camp.
And I get it. Everything feels like a fight right now. Every conversation, every headline, every election. But the problem isn’t just political. It’s deeper than that.
People are treating their politics like religion (and some religions have gone all in on politics). But not one of the inclusive religions. This religion is the kind that demands loyalty, punishes doubt, and turns neighbor against neighbor. Or maybe it’s more like sports. People pick their team, wear the colors, and root for the win. Their sports passion is about belonging. About identity. But unlike sports, this game is tearing our communities apart. We're in witch burning territory. Spanish Inquisition and religious war territory.
We need something bigger than politics and stronger than party. Something we can actually build on together. I keep thinking back to the Character Counts program my kids were taught in grade school—things like trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring. Citizenship. Simple? Yes. But they work. Nearly every religious tradition and moral framework agrees on these. What if we used them not just to teach kids, but to guide ourselves—and each other?
Character isn’t old-fashioned. It’s what allows us to live with people who are different from us without needing to dominate or shame them. It’s what makes community possible. Maybe we can’t agree on every issue. But if we can agree on how we treat one another, we have a shot at rebuilding something real.
Unfortunately, moving somewhere else won’t fix this. Because this isn’t just about where we live. It’s about how we live. And I'm not confident people actually know how to do that right now.
