Our country has been tested in every way imaginable over the last year. Between a global pandemic, riots, a divisive election, and more, it is clear our people are hurting. Just last month, a newly inaugurated President Biden promised the country something that has felt like a pipe dream for too long — unity.
Speaking to a fractured and hurting nation, he said, “Without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness, and fury. No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos.” It does not matter what side of the political aisle you are on; unity is something that we all crave.
I believe Biden is serious that he wants to bring the country together, but both sides have some work to do before that promise can become a reality. Above all, that goal will not be possible while many legislators, celebrities, and media outlets tout the concept of unity on one hand but then are quick to “cancel” or silence any dissenting voice.
As a lifelong Republican who has had the opportunity and privilege to serve in Congress, I am seeing language and behavior every day in this country that worries me. Every day, a new person or organization is canceled because of a controversial stance or statement or simply because their thoughts are not in line with mainstream ways of thinking. There is a concerted and sustained effort to shut out outlets such as Fox News, which is the primary source of information and news for half the country. Groups such as Media Matters and some people online act with the singular intention of shutting down the network.
Even other news outlets are getting involved in such advocacy, with CNN pushing for cable providers to drop conservative news outlets. Fox News is far from perfect, and when mistakes are made, they should be held accountable. However, the problem with such efforts is that if Fox is silenced, that leaves half of America without a news source that reflects their interests and values.
The highest priority of Congress is to follow the law of the land and act in the best interest of the public — and that goes for both sides. What we cannot do is only cancel one side of the aisle; everyone must be accountable in order to come to the most fair and best outcome. That means that just as it was wrong for some Republicans to attempt not to certify the election on Jan. 6, it was equally wrong when some Democrats voted not to certify in 2016.
The same can be said on issues of social media content moderation and of encouraging violence as a form of political protest. If we are going to bring about unity, we cannot point the finger at one political party or television station and suggest the blame falls exclusively on them when there are plenty of such calls to violence all around. This will never bring about genuine unity, nor is it an honest assessment of the political condition in which the nation finds itself.
Republican or Democrat, we are all human, and we are all capable of making mistakes. Our greatest danger, and my biggest fear, lies in a society that does not afford people mistakes but instead outright cancels dissenting voices. That is not a society I feel comfortable in, and that is not a society I want for our country. We all need to take a hard look at how we got here and move forward together, not drift farther apart.
Ryan Costello served as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District from 2015 to 2019.
