I appreciate you being willing to have a genuine conversation about this. Unfortunately, I think both sides have become so consumed by outrage that finding common ground feels almost impossible.

I’m conflicted myself. Having grown up in New Mexico, I’ve known and been friends with many people who could face deportation. I wish there were a more accessible path to citizenship for them, and I know many of them wish the same.

At the same time, I find it deeply disturbing how many people celebrate Luigi Mangione, argue that Charlie Kirk deserved to be murdered, or applaud the exposure of private information belonging to their fellow citizens. It’s difficult to reconcile demands for compassion with such a willingness to dehumanize people we disagree with.

I wish we had a greater collective capacity for mercy, or at least a willingness to extend some grace to one another. But increasingly, I fear people have become more invested in fighting than finding peace. I genuinely hope I’m wrong.