We are not as divided as ‘they’ say we are

Sololiya Ebba | The Chronicle

“I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify,” said Joe Biden on November 7, 2020. “Who doesn’t see red and blue states, but the United States.” It was his first speech as president-elect. Less than a minute in, the words “divide”, “rebuild” and “reunite” have already been exhausted. “For decades, the divide between the powerful in Washington and the rest of us has only widened,” said James David Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee. It’s the 2024 Republican National Convention, but the rhetoric stays the same. Our country is divided. Biden, Vance, I disagree.

On the night of Thursday, September 26th, Hurricane Helene made landfall. The storm ripped its way through the Gulf Coast of Florida and plowed north through Georgia, its destruction, chaos and apocalyptical obliteration of communities making it the deadliest hurricane to strike the United States since Katrina in 2005. Helene, a Category 4 storm, has led to the death of 215 people, with many still missing. The damage of this disaster was so severe that the village of Chimney Rock, North Carolina was practically swept off the map. Helene’s floods wiped out the entire town, leaving it in ruins and survivors without power, communication or basic necessities. Only about two weeks after Helene, Florida was hit with Hurricane Milton, making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane. Together Helene and Milton caused massive damage across Florida, with mandatory evacuations and no way to know when certain areas will be safe to return to.

Living in Florida for nine years of my life, hurricanes were not uncommon growing up. From June to November, I could expect heavy rain and frightening storms pretty much every day. It was hurricane season in the Sunshine State.

It never truly affected me until 2017.

Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm, torpedoed through Dunedin, Florida, where my family and I lived. Fortunately, we were able to evacuate before the storm began. However, I know there were people around us who did not have that option. I could never imagine how terrifying it would have been to live through that hurricane when it happened. I distinctly remember returning home to see houses boarded up, power lines disconnected, and tree branches lining the streets of a previously beautiful beach town.

In the weeks that followed, neighbors of ours came together to help cut down trees that had broken down and helped clean the streets. I witnessed people knocking on the doors of others who they may never have spoken to before. While Irma drove me away from my home, it showed me the value of a village. Sooner rather than later, life went back to normal. The storm had passed, but the unity persisted.

Helene and Milton brought similar unity. Despite 140 mile-per-hour winds, residents of devastated areas like Chimney Rock bound together in a way that wildly contradicted the long-proclaimed “division” that politicians insist plagues our country.

In the aftermath of the storms, survivors across the affected regions brought food and water to those in need, while others helped to dig out knocked-down trees and do all they can to restore order. Neighbors help neighbors, and strangers lend hands to anyone in need. Businesses devote time to making thousands of meals each day for people who lack resources. Humanitarian organizations are in full force, providing aid and shelter. Local governments across the nation encourage their citizens to donate to disaster relief funds for North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. These donations help victims gain access to food, water, cleaning supplies and other needs. It’s a display of unity like no other, and it only took a natural disaster to spark it.

Over the past few weeks, communities more than ever have relied on each other to get back on their feet. Suddenly, no one cares about if you are a Democrat or if you’re a Republican. No one cares if you voted in favor of or against the latest state issue.

So, is America truly as divided as we say we are?

Maybe hurricanes like Irma, Helene and Milton drive people together, but I think it goes deeper than that. Sometimes, the clouded vision of party affiliation makes people believe that it is them against the whole world. Liberals against conservatives, Democrats against Republicans, even women against men.

In light of the election year, yes, it is arguable that now, more than ever, people see life through the lenses of political parties. Regardless, the erasure of societal factions as soon as people are in need signifies something we tend to forget. As a nation, we step up for each other. We drop the agendas, platforms and plans. I think Hurricanes Helene and Milton have proven to our nation that in times of need, Americans rise to the occasion. So thank you, Helene and Milton, for showing us who we are: undivided.