The year 2025 brought enormous turmoil to the American political system. Division and polarization were the order of the day — and tribalism was the word best describing the year.
My hope for 2026 is that we recommit ourselves as a nation to the concept of truth, reaffirm the centrality of the rule of law to our constitutional form of government, and remember that decency is the noblest of virtues transcending politics and partisan differences.
To realize this hope will require constant vigilance and resistance. It will demand that we have the courage to stand up against all those who seek to destabilize and undermine the very institutions that preserve our democracy and who appeal to and incite hate. But most of all it will oblige us to act out of love and respect — in a manner truly befitting our humanity.
Failure to bring these goals to fruition could turn turmoil into our country’s downfall.
Richard Cherwitz, Camas
