A Contemporary Olive Branch Petition

To the President of the United States, the Leaders of the Congress, and Our Fellow Americans Entrusted with the Powers of Government:

When, in the ordinary course of a free republic, disagreements arise among citizens concerning the proper exercise of power, it is neither unusual nor dishonorable that earnest convictions should differ. Such diversity has long been the strength of our nation, for liberty has never depended upon unanimity of opinion, but upon mutual respect under a common Constitution.

We write not as adversaries seeking triumph over our countrymen, but as fellow Americans who remain devoted to the enduring promise that this Republic belongs equally to all its people. We acknowledge that elections carry consequences, that the people have entrusted the present government with lawful authority, and that those who serve in office possess both the right and the responsibility to govern.

We also acknowledge our own imperfections. Those whose views are commonly described as Democratic, liberal, or progressive have not always listened with sufficient care to the concerns of those who differ from us. At times we have mistaken disagreement for malice, spoken with unnecessary contempt, or failed to appreciate the anxieties that have shaped the convictions of millions of our fellow citizens. We do not claim exclusive possession of wisdom, patriotism, or virtue.

Yet humility compels us equally to speak with candor.

Many among us fear that the extraordinary powers of government are now employed in ways that deepen division rather than heal it; that institutions intended to preserve equal justice are increasingly regarded as instruments of partisan advantage; that the rights, dignity, and security of political minorities may become dependent upon the favor of those who temporarily hold power rather than upon enduring constitutional principles.

We do not question the patriotism of those with whom we disagree. We recognize that many who support the present administration do so from sincere convictions regarding economic opportunity, national security, the rule of law, religious liberty, and the proper limits of government. We neither deny these concerns nor ask that they be abandoned.

We ask only that our own concerns receive equal regard.

We seek assurances that disagreement shall never be treated as disloyalty; that criticism of government shall remain the protected inheritance of every citizen; that no American shall fear retaliation for peaceful speech, lawful protest, independent journalism, academic inquiry, or participation in elections. We ask that the machinery of government be administered impartially, without preference for political friends or punishment of political opponents.

We further entreat that debates concerning immigration, public safety, taxation, health care, education, energy, foreign affairs, and the many difficult questions before the nation proceed not through the language of contempt, but through reasoned deliberation worthy of a constitutional republic. Let victories at the ballot box not become licenses for humiliation, nor electoral defeats occasions for despair.

History reminds us that the greatest dangers to free governments seldom arise from disagreement itself, but from the belief that one's opponents are enemies beyond redemption. Such a belief, once accepted, dissolves the bonds of citizenship and transforms neighbors into rivals for domination rather than partners in self-government.

Our Republic has endured civil war, economic calamity, acts of terror, and profound social transformation because generations before us understood that constitutional government requires restraint as well as strength. Those entrusted with power preserve their greatest honor not merely by exercising authority, but by exercising it with moderation toward those who opposed them.

We therefore respectfully petition that opportunities be sought for genuine bipartisan consultation upon matters affecting the long-term health of the nation; that public servants refrain from language that inflames hostility between Americans; that independent institutions be protected from improper political interference; and that every citizen, regardless of party, race, religion, region, or belief, be recognized as possessing equal claim to the blessings and protections of our Constitution.

We make these requests not because we seek advantage over our fellow citizens, nor because we desire to obstruct the lawful work of government, but because we believe that reconciliation is both possible and necessary. We would rather leave to our children a nation strengthened by mutual confidence than one exhausted by perpetual political warfare.

Should our appeals be received in the generous spirit in which they are offered, we stand ready to participate in sincere dialogue, to acknowledge legitimate differences, to compromise where conscience permits, and to defend together those constitutional principles that belong to neither party alone.

May those entrusted with authority remember that power is temporary, but the Republic endures. May those in opposition remember that criticism bears greater force when joined with humility. And may all Americans, whatever their political persuasion, preserve for future generations a Union in which liberty is secured not by the victory of one faction over another, but by the faithful observance of justice, restraint, and the equal dignity of every citizen.

With respect for our common country, and with hope that reconciliation may yet prevail, we submit this Petition in a spirit of peace.

Concerned Citizens of the United States of America.

Beau Breslin is the Joseph C. Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College.