In the wake of the attacks, we’ve heard plenty of paeans to unity and bipartisanship. We hear these pleas to “change the tone in Washington” every now and then. The three Presidents before Donald Trump were all in some way, shape or form elected on such a promise.

Tone certainly matters, but substance matters more. We will not move forward as a country if we cannot find a middle ground. I say this not as a political analyst offering advice, but as an angered citizen, hopeful about everything that this nation could do and be.

Even independents, who technically still outnumber members of either party, are guided by fear when they lean towards one party over the other. An article in the New York Times highlights that “More than half who lean toward either party say a major reason for their preference is the damage the other party could cause. Only about a third reported being attracted by the good that could come from the policies of the party toward which they lean.”