May 2021 be year of being bipartisan

February 3, 2021

I’ve had it with insults, sarcasm and screaming getting all our attention. I’m ready for civility, decency and the democratic process to get a lot more coverage.

That’s why I admire the 17 Republican members of Congress, including the Central Valley’s David Valadao, for the letter they sent to President Biden on Jan. 20.

My favorite part was this: “Americans are tired of the partisan gridlock and simply want to see leaders from both sides of the aisle work on issues important to American families, workers, and businesses ... We firmly believe that what unites us as Americans is far greater than anything that may ever divide us. In that spirit, we hope that we can rise above the partisan fray to negotiate meaningful change for Americans across the nation.”.

I respect this reach across the aisle and hope we see a lot more of this from both parties. We need our leaders to move us toward lasting solutions to the pandemic, racial injustice, poverty, gun violence and climate change. I hope the most used word of 2021 will be “bipartisan.”

Andrea Farber De Zubiria, Fresno