Hyper-partisanship must end for the good of the country

As we approach the 20th anniversary of September 11th, we remember that tragic day in our history. But it also brought about a remarkable response, as a unified nation rallied to defend our democracy from a foreign attack. Ironically, we now face another attack on our democracy, the hyper-partisanship that is dividing our nation. This time, the attack is coming from within. It is a fact that political partisanship has increased dramatically in the last 15 years. Our nation has moved farther to the left and to the right, resulting in name-calling, blaming, gridlock…even violence. The serious issues we face are complex, requiring our best collective input. How can we expect good results, using a playbook with half the pages missing? Blaming and name-calling is no substitute for real problem solving. Fortunately, we do have some elected leaders who are trying to break away from hyper-partisanship. They deserve our vote and our support. As citizens, we must insist on integrity and civility in order to preserve our American democracy.

— By Lee Rasch, executive director of Leader Ethics Wisconsin