MILWAUKEE — Many are left wondering, after such a contentious election - and with the official results still unknown - how will we find a way to heal America’s political divide?
The voting may be over, but the issues and resentments that divided Americans this election, are not going to magically disappear.
“Everyone’s angry for various reasons, but we need to start fixing some of these problems,” said Mike Chaltry. “It’s going to take a lot of work.”
“We need to come together,” said Tanisha Moore. “Things feel really heavy right now. I feel like I was raised to love and respect everyone. But especially as a Black woman, I feel like many people in this country right now don’t respect or care about me and my family. ”
“I think it's going to be a rough journey for everybody, but hopefully no matter who you voted for, both sides can start trying to work together,” said David Gottald, who expressed disappointment in how ugly things got when he put up Trump-Pence signs in his front yard.
“My signs were vandalized, stolen, stuff was thrown at my house, people threatened me,” he said. “I was raised to respect everybody. Treat others as you would like to be treated. It just seems it’s not like that anymore.”
Democrat Jilly Gokalgandhi believes it’s going to take voters stepping-out of their comfort zones - their own communities and social circles - to reach more common ground.
“Our communities are not integrated,” Gokalgandhi said. “Those relationships and authentic encounters become very difficult, if not impossible, when you are only around people who look and think like you. Look inward and ask yourself why you only have a homogenous community that you interact with.”
Gottald says he has conversations all the time with neighbors and family members who have different opinions. He agrees healing is needed, but like many, is not sure how to get there on a larger scale. He says there has to be more of a willingness to really listen to opposing views, and respect that fact that you may not change another person’s mind, or see things the same.
“No matter who we voted for, we should be able to still bring things together,” Gottald says. “We may not all agree on everything that’s going on. But we all have a choice, no matter what color we are or where we live.”