09/21/2026
WE CAN DEMAND AND DO BETTER
We’ve all experienced it. It’s that subject many people are afraid to discuss openly because of the reaction it might provoke.
Our country is deeply divided politically, and that division has been building for years. Honest disagreement is necessary in a democracy. But when disagreement becomes hostility, and when people are reduced to political labels, it damages relationships, businesses, reputations and communities.
I have to believe that most of us, deep down, want something better.
Neuroscientist Dr. Terry Wu describes an instinctive process behind what he calls the “Us vs. Them” dynamic. Our brains naturally categorize people and are often cautious or defensive toward those we perceive as different. That instinct does not make us bad people. But when we allow it to control how we see and treat others, it can take us somewhere much darker.
Dr. Wu also points toward a solution by building a shared identity and finding genuine common ground. As he explains, “Shared goals help, but shared experiences are even more powerful.”
We are now well into another political season. We see television ads and glossy mailers telling us how terrible the other candidates are. The attacks come from every direction and can leave voters wondering why they should support anyone.
I consider myself politically independent. My role as a Carol Stream Village Trustee is nonpartisan, but my independence is not simply a requirement of the position. It reflects who I am. I don’t agree completely with either major party, and I believe our rigid two-party system too often discourages candidates and voters whose beliefs do not fit neatly into one camp.
That hurts all of us, regardless of how we identify politically.
As voters, we should be willing to examine candidates who may not be on “our side.” We should resist the “Us vs. Them” instinct and consider each person’s character, record, judgment and ideas. We should make decisions based on reliable facts rather than party loyalty, fear or propaganda.
A photograph of Earth taken from billions of miles away inspired astronomer Carl Sagan’s description of our world as a “pale blue dot.” From that distance, our planet looks extraordinarily small, vulnerable and isolated. Political labels disappear. We are simply one human community sharing one tiny place.
That perspective doesn’t make our disagreements unimportant. It reminds us not to let those disagreements become more important than our shared humanity.
During this political season, let’s embrace another human trait: curiosity. Let’s ask questions before making assumptions. Let’s return to civil discourse and perhaps even enjoy discussing political issues constructively with people who see them differently.
Let’s view candidates as the imperfect human beings they are, without automatically filtering everything through party labels or preconceived notions. Let’s hold leaders accountable regardless of whether they belong to our preferred party. Let’s demand that candidates at every level stand on their own records and ideas instead of building campaigns around personal attacks.
I don’t expect someone on the far right to embrace every belief held by someone on the far left, or vice versa. That isn’t realistic, and it isn’t necessary.
But we can disagree without treating one another as enemies. We can look for the common ground beneath our differences. We can choose the greater good over automatic loyalty to our own political “team.”
Maybe that makes me a dreamer.
But imagine what could happen if more of us were willing to try.
Jeff Berger
Village Trustee
