Much has been written by partisans of all stripes about the differences that separate our country. Amidst the talk of Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, red and blue states, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we actually do share common dreams, values and goals. Especially after an election as bitter as the last one, it’s inconceivable to some people that we might have anything in common with fellow citizens who don’t share our vision of what the country ought to be.

But the fact is, we have more in common than we realize – partly on superficial levels and partly on matters of philosophical agreement that run so deep we take them for granted.

For example: As much as I dislike his policies, I bet it would be tremendously hard to resist an invitation from President George W. Bush to go to a Cubs game. There we’d be, shelling peanuts and heckling from the bleachers. On a deeper level, the president and I both love this country; it’s hard not to be moved when he speaks of a culture of life or of his vision of a lasting peace. The fact that I am diametrically opposed to the way that he wants to achieve those aims does not diminish that connection to a shared value.

Both the riot cop and the anti-war protester believe in justice, but their disagreement is one of how to achieve that goal and how to balance the tension between progress and order. The churchgoer and the atheist can peacefully coexist, as they are both free to worship or not worship as they choose; their differences are a matter of faith. Both the capitalist and that anarchist want prosperity for all; their disagreements are on matters of regulation, organization and scale.

These aren’t just hypothetical situations; a broad-based coalition of liberals and conservatives has come together in support of protecting the Constitution by repealing the Patriot Act. Environmentalists and hunters have become allies in the fight to preserve the natural wealth and beauty of our commons and open spaces. Every day, people who are separated by ideology set aside their differences to cooperate and work to build a more just and humane world.

When talking about the far deeper divisions of the Cold War, President John F. Kennedy once said, “So, let us not be blind to our differences, but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”

So, in this season of hope, remember that no matter what divides us, we are all Americans.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.