Perhaps now — finally — we can work together

Sometimes good things come from bad things. That’s why I am hopeful.

The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump has once again shaken the foundation of America’s democracy. Deadly shots fired could further tear our country apart . . . or not.

This horrific event might just give America a new opportunity to heal the divide. President Biden, Trump and elected officials can all help us come together as a nation.

I have always tried to work across party lines. At my swearing-in speech before Congress in February, I said, “Wake up. The people are sick and tired of finger-pointing and petty partisan politics.”

We know our country is fractured. Partisanship prevails. Confrontation has replaced cooperation. Anger and hate speech seem much too common. Congress is literally a House divided against itself.

Our founders disagreed on many things, but were unanimous in their contempt for partisan politics, calling it “a dangerous vice and a moral disease.”

I have championed the belief that we must find common ground, that we must work across party lines to actually get things done for people. We can disagree with one another, but we must remember that we are in the solutions business. Again, we can disagree, but we must not hold one another in contempt. Contempt is one of the biggest problems in our politics. It’s a recipe for disaster.

I have always worked hard to build coalitions of like-minded Democrats and Republicans to solve problems. Right now I am focused on the border. So what is causing this intense division?

I think there are four major factors contributing to today’s divisions: safe seats, social media, cable news, and our foreign adversaries.

The first major problems we face is gerrymandering, drawing congressional and other seats to favor one party. Ninety percent of House seats are safe — overwhelmingly Democratic or Republican. The only way to beat a member of Congress in a safe district is to primary them. But since so few people vote in primaries — fewer than 15 percent — and those who vote tend to be more extreme on the political spectrum, extremist candidates on both sides tend to win.

A candidate in a safe seat only need win the primary; the general election is safe. To win the primary, too many candidates just pander to the base.

Second, the more extreme you are on social media, the more “likes” or “follows” you get. We have all seen hateful, venal posts that seem to get more views than even the cute cat videos. Extreme social media is also more likely to generate small donor contributions from a vast audience. “Let’s work together” just doesn’t seem to generate much excitement.

Third, cable news. Think Fox and MSNBC. Depending on the show and the target audience, cable news networks hire talent and invite guests who will reinforce their own narrative that the other side is destroying our country. The crazier the quotes, the more airtime you get.

Fourth, and the most pernicious, our foreign adversaries Russia, the Chinese Communist Party, Iran, and North Korea are using our freedom of speech, our social media and more, and they are sowing disinformation and discontent. They are blowing up issues where we have the slightest disagreement and trying to make us unrecognizable to one another.

Our laptops and cellphones have become treasure troves of misinformation, disinformation and phony websites. Computer algorithms are programmed to feed us more and more of the same content we seem interested in.

But I still have great faith in the American people, and in our system. Biden and Trump have a wonderful opportunity at their conventions, and in the coming months, to move beyond divisive rhetoric and try to bring us together. We can disagree — disagree strongly — but not promote contempt or hate, and certainly not violence.

I’m hopeful, too, that we might all seize this moment to recognize that politics is serious business, and realize how harmful hate is and how badly it affects the political climate.

No foreign adversary can ever hope to defeat America. None ever has. The greatest threat to our republic comes not from external forces, but from within. Only internal divisions could topple our government.

Now more than ever, let’s all find common ground, work together, and make America the best it can be.

Tom Suozzi represents the 3rd Congressional District.