As Washington transitions to a new administration and the U.S. Senate debates whether the last president should be allowed to seek office again, glances in almost any direction reveal the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was but a symptom of multiple gaping chasms along social and political lines.

On whether the Nov. 3 election was free and fair or a farce, on whether government restrictions related to the coronavirus protect us or oppress us, on whether we are served by a free press or duped by fake news, and about the best ways to solve this nation’s many challenges, Americans break along ideological lines.

About the only thing upon which most seem to agree is that such division is unsustainable. Politicians on both sides of the aisle from Washington to city halls say unity is America’s only hope to thrive.

But what does that mean?

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Brad Somers, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena, plays table tennis on Thursday at the club.

What does unity look like?

How do we heal?

Over the past few weeks, The News has posed that question to several Northeast Michiganders.

Here’s what they told us:

‘REAL DEBATE’

News Photo by Julie Riddle Alpena resident Jim Stanley is seen outside his Sheridan Street home last week. He said he worries about the political unrest his grandchildren may inherit.

South Sheridan Street resident Jim Stanley paused from shoveling snow to consider what might heal the nation’s political wounds.

“How about discussion?” Stanley said. “Real debate. Not name-calling.”

Serious political issues have to be addressed, he said ,but those issues won’t be resolved until opposing sides come together and talk calmly and use facts.

That’s not likely to happen, though, Stanley thinks.

At his age, the 65-year-old retiree said, political divides don’t make much difference to him. He worries about his grandkids and great-grandkids and the conflict they’ll inherit, however.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Maj. Prezza Morrison of the Salvation Army is pictured on Friday at the Salvation Army office in Alpena.

“I’m not in control,” Stanley said. “I have a vote, I use it. That’s all I can do.”

‘COME OUTSIDE WITH THE KIDS’

Trista Kreger, a 36-year-old stay-at-home mom of three, had to give up social media to stay away from political discord.

“You post anything, and nobody will scroll right past,” Kreger said. “They have to comment, whether it’s ignorant or not. It’s like, why?”

Arguments on social media were stressing her out, the South 4th Avenue resident said, so she decided to walk away.

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Ted Fines, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan, browses through pamphlets at work recently. For our country to heal, Fines said, people need to listen to each other and respect opinions and ideas different from their own.

“Nope. Just get rid of it,” Kreger said. “Come outside with the kids, do other crap.”

Major media outlets — many with a definite political bias, in her view — have their place, she said.

But you have to watch several outlets to get the whole picture, she said — “instead of just sticking with, ‘I’m a Biden person,’ or, ‘I’m a Trump person.'”

Take in both sides “and listen — or, just completely avoid it,” Kreger said.

‘FOCUS ON BEING ONE’

Ted Fines, 71 of Lost Lake Woods, makes a career out of helping others as executive director of Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan.

Fines said the nation’s political divide is worrisome, because it limits acceptance of new ideas and open-mindedness. Fines, who is married and has three children, said the heated state of our country may cool if people are more understanding of one another.

“To start with, we all need to learn how to listen to one another more,” he said. “It seems everyone has a lot to say, but nobody can listen and respect opinions outside of their own. This has to change, or we are going to be in a whole lot of trouble. We can’t continue to be defined as if we are Democrat or Republican. We need to put that aside and focus on being one.”

‘GOD IS AT THE HEART OF THIS’

Jim Erickson has pastored Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alpena for decades. He lives in Alpena and is married with two children.

For years, Erickson said, he noticed a trend of people moving away from religion and its teachings. Until faith, prayer, and trust in God returns, division will continue indefinitely, he said.

“To be honest, I don’t think there is any hope for true unity or true healing in this country apart from God,” Erickson said. “I think, the further the country has drifted away from God, away from the church and scripture, it is going to be hard to come together as one. God is at the heart of this and is the one who can bring us back together, just like he has many times before.”

‘A SIMPLE SMILE’

Brad Somers, 39, has been the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena for over 19 years.

Somers said people deal with a lot of negatives right now, and everybody seems so angry.

He said one of the more important things people can do is reach out to their neighbors and start a conversation. He said listening, empathizing, and understanding are equally important right now.

“A simple smile and a gesture to show somebody that you care about their day can help a person get through their day,” he said. “You never know if someone’s having a bad day or a good day or the best day or the worst day, but, having the opportunity to put a smile on somebody’s face just by saying a simple hi in passing and having an opportunity to get to know someone you might not get to know could help another human being get through something terrible you might not know is going on.”

‘HAVE TO BE BREAKABLE’

Salvation Army Maj. Prezza Morrison, 57, has only lived in the Alpena area since July, but has worked for the Salvation Army for 35 years.

As a pastor, Morrison said, she believes people need to focus more on Jesus and his actions: kind and loving to everyone he met, from the rich to the poor to those considered diseased, even if they didn’t have the same beliefs.

Morrison said it may be time to remain silent and focus on listening and seeing people in a different way. Instead of jumping to conclusions, we should ask more questions, such as, “Why do you feel that way?,” or, “Why do you think that way?”

“We’re very impatient, and we’re going to have to know to be patient,” she said. “And we’re going to have to be breakable, too. I need to be ready to break in some of the areas I might have stood for for a long time and may have thought, ‘That’s just how it is.’ I might have to break some of those molds and say, ‘That’s not how it really is. That’s just how I thought it was.'”

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that Ted Fines is 71 years old. His age was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.

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