One hardly knows where to begin in responding to Scott Stuart’s guest editorial in Thursday’s Bulletin. One of the goals Scott listed for the Republican Party was “to educate the public on how we can achieve unity once again.”

One might assume a first step toward that goal would be to reduce the divisive language by participants on both sides. Referring to Democrats as “elitists” and citizens who “don’t love America the way it was originally founded” does not seem to support achieving unity.

Mr. Stuart invites us to search the Deschutes County Republican website for a comparison of platforms between the two parties. If his guest editorial was somewhat constrained in his language demeaning the “other side,” the representation on the website goes to great lengths to fill in the blanks.

Republicans are for a strong economy, freedom, protecting children, supporting law enforcement, secure voting and elections and, above-all, they are aligned with God. Democrats, in comparison, believe in bad economies, tyranny, exposing our children, empowering criminals, hosting unfair elections and forming repressive and immoral governments.

I checked the Democratic website to see their vitrolic response to the Republican claims. Nothing. It was all about what we could do as citizens to promote democracy and equality.

Mr. Stuart makes several references to the Declaration of Independence and how the rights of men are endowed by their Creator. Certainly a true reference. But the Declaration goes on to say “that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Mr. Stuart would ask us to believe that any government actually formed with the consent of the governed reflects “secular humanism” — i.e. a government out of touch with some basic form of ethics or morals. Apparently we are to assume that only Republicans are able to summon a higher spritual presence for guidance on how to best live our lives.

One must ask exactly what individual rights have been given to each of us to interpret Liberty, Freedom and the Pursuit of Happiness. Is it the right to smoke in a restaurant, even knowing that doing so increases the risk of cancer in those around us? Is it the right to spread COVID, knowing that over 1 million Americans have already died from it? Is it the right for everyone to carry weapons of war, knowing that some members of our society will use them in horrific and unlawful ways? Where, exactly, does our duty to society take priority over our individual desires?

My hope for our country is that, no matter our individual preferences, we strive to rise above denigrating anyone with different views. That we all seek to form a more perfect union — one with civil discourse and an underlying belief in just how great this country can be. We are blessed to live in one of the wealthiest and most influential countries on Earth.

Our heritage should be the creation of a society that encourages all people to reach their highest potential, that challenges all people to measure their contributions by how it helps those around them, and that sets a brilliant example for the world of just how exceptional mankind can be when it follows a higher calling.