Back in my college days, it was common to see a bumper sticker adorned with the American flag and this inscription: “Love It or Leave It.”

Our country was terribly divided over the war in Vietnam. Many young people like myself were vociferously opposed to the war, and the proponents employed that bumper sticker to show their utter disgust.

One day as a college friend was driving us to lunch, it didn’t strike me as unusual that he would get angry when we spotted one of those bumper stickers on the car just ahead of us. But I didn’t expect what came next:

Fuming, my friend tailgated the driver, and began to chant “Vietnam!,” “Vietnam!,” “Vietnam!” Fortunately, that driver appeared unperturbed.

I was deathly afraid that my friend would use his middle finger honk his horn and start shouting obscenities out the window toward of the other driver. That would not end well, I was certain. Luckily for all, the driver signaled a turn at the next traffic light, and we went straight. Confrontation avoided!

A half-century later, I palpably still recall my friend’s fury at seeing the bumper sticker and what it represented, to both of us: A slap in the face for our stance on the war.

That incident surfaced in my mind recently when I read about a 22-year-old Michigan man who used his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to purposefully run down an 80-year-old man who was putting Trump signs in his yard. Authorities believe the violent act was politically motivated. The elderly man was treated at a hospital for his injuries before being released; the driver took his own life as police descended upon his home. That violent act occurred mere days after a young Pennsylvania man tried to assassinate Trump at one of his rallies. 

Passions are running high in this election season, and we must do everything in our power to keep our strongly we held feelings in check. All of our efforts should be aimed at the ballot box on November 5, and we must not commit violent acts against our fellow citizens with whom we disagree.

Let’s rally around our preferred candidate, make our voices heard with vigor, donate to a campaign, and show up to vote on Election Day. We can and must do it in a peaceful manner. We must avoid another January 6 at all costs. Civility must be our hallmark during this tumultuous period.

Ron Cooper ©2024