Temper our tribal war with Golden Rule

In my lifetime, I have never seen more widespread divisiveness and rancor in our politics than what we are seeing today. It is unsettling and discouraging, to say the least, and calls for leadership that binds us together as one nation that aims to govern on behalf of the broad national interest and avoids the current "win-lose" approach that has unfortunately become the norm in today's bitter political arena.

[Election reflection: Division runs deep, Alaska remains red]

In 1774, John Adams described the American goal as "a government of laws and not of men." The U.S. Constitution, as amended, is our blueprint for administering a fair and just government for all the people of our nation. But in these complex and difficult times — times of instant news and alternative facts — there are also some fundamental guiding principles that should underpin political leadership that strives for fair and responsive governance on behalf of all the people. These principles should include:

• Truth and honesty,

• Fairness and equality,

• Kindness and respect, and

• Fact- and science-based decision-making.

And the underlying moral imperative of responsible leadership, that transcends all religions, should rest on the Golden Rule: Do to others what you would have them do to you.

I firmly think that most Americans, as well as most Alaskans, personally believe in these fundamental principles but these principles are not being applied in our day-to-day political arena, which seems to have devolved into tribal warfare. If our leaders — at all levels from local and state to national — were to operate under these shared values, it would go a long way toward healing our political divide and thus enabling our government, of the people, for the people and by the people, to fairly and justly serve all the people.

John Schoen is a retired wildlife biologist. He lives in Anchorage.

The views expressed here are the writer's and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com.