Amid chaos in Charlottesville, there is opportunity in crisis

Like many Americans, I am ashamed of our president’s reaction to the hate crime committed in Virginia. We are in a crisis. Somehow, a 12-year-old bully in a 70-year-old body was elected president.

I look for opportunity in crisis. This is Congress’ opportunity to compromise. Both parties in both houses of Congress need to find mutual goals and common ground and go forward with the legislation at hand: Improve the ACA, raise the debt ceiling, simplify and reform taxes in a just way and reform our election process.

This is an opportunity to form coalitions large enough to override presidential vetoes. We must do this; the risks of not doing so are great. I have written to our members of Congress, I ask readers to do the same.

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 8:03 AM with the headline "Amid chaos in Charlottesville, there is opportunity in crisis."