POLITICS

3 Radical Ideas for Unity

What government and media need to change immediately

Joe Biden hasn’t even been president for a week, but the spin machines at the polar ends of our political spectrum are already hard at work. The president’s call for unity has been sliced and diced every which way imaginable, but what is sorely lacking in the conversation are actual, practical, executable ideas for how to unify this country.

The divide is deep and painful across the states and across family dinner tables. We have only to look at the Capitol Riot and the now year-long politicization of masks to see that what started as a political football game — are you Team Red or Team Blue?— has become a dangerous and life-threatening chasm between the left and right. I do not pretend to have the answer, but I would like to offer three radical ideas that could help us.

First, make them sit together. Joe Biden would make his call for unity crystal clear (and very newsworthy) if he made foes sit together at the upcoming State of the Union. Yes, technically, it’s not an official State of the Union because it comes just a month after he takes office, but on February 23, President Biden will address a joint session of Congress. As Americans, we are exhausted—and quite annoyed—each year as we watch and listen to the two camps separately applaud for only the lines in the president’s speech that they agree with. Enough. Our own children behave better than that. Have them stand up, switch seats, and sit next to someone of the opposing party. It would be a powerful statement to the nation.

Second, let’s revisit the Fairness Doctrine. Yes, there used to be an actual policy that prevented the polarization of our media. It is time to bring it back. First enacted in 1949 by the FCC, the Doctrine called on television broadcasters to present balanced reporting on controversial issues. It was gutted in the 80s, a move that famously gave rise to Fox News. Our media landscape is wildly different now, but a modern Fairness Doctrine would break down the barriers between the red bubble and the blue. News, facts, and truth should not be the privilege nor the burden of one side. We have seen the disastrous effects of tearing down that policy, and it is high time to bring it back. We all deserve the…