To the Editor:

There’s a scene in the television series Lioness that really stuck with me, especially with another election right around the corner.

Russia is described as the wolf pack. China is the tiger. And America is the bear.

Neither the wolf nor the tiger can defeat the bear. Even together, they’re no match for its strength.

So how do you defeat something you can’t overpower?

“Disease kills the bear.”

You poison it from within. Slowly. Quietly. You undermine its institutions, influence its businesses, infiltrate its schools, exploit its weaknesses, and turn its own people against one another.

Eventually, the bear becomes so divided and weakened that it destroys itself.

Now, I understand it’s a television show. But look around at what’s happening in this country, particularly during election season.

Turn on your television. Scroll through social media. Open your mailbox.

Political ad after political ad, almost all telling us how absolutely terrible the other candidate is.

Fear. Anger. Accusations. Half-truths. Carefully edited clips. Anything to convince Americans that the person on the other side is the enemy.

And we’re eating it up.

When was the last time you saw a political advertisement that actually explained, in detail, what a candidate planned to accomplish? How they intended to accomplish it? Or how it would improve the lives of the people they supposedly want to represent?

Instead, we’re bombarded with messages designed to make us hate one another.

Republicans versus Democrats. Conservatives versus liberals. Neighbor versus neighbor.

And while we’re busy fighting among ourselves, who exactly benefits?

Foreign adversaries don’t have to create every division in America. They can simply exploit the ones we’ve already created.

And our own politicians and political organizations certainly aren’t helping.

They’ve figured out that keeping Americans angry, frightened, and divided can be more effective than actually earning their support.

We’ve reached a point where people will defend behavior they’d absolutely condemn if it came from the opposing party.

That’s not accountability. That’s blind loyalty.

I don’t care what party someone belongs to. I care about honesty, integrity, common sense, and whether they’re actually working for the American people.

We should be demanding answers instead of repeating talking points. Questioning political advertisements instead of blindly believing them. Holding everyone to the same standards, regardless of party affiliation.

The wolf and tiger don’t need to defeat the bear in battle if the bear is already tearing itself apart.

Maybe the most dangerous poison isn’t coming from overseas. Maybe it’s the hatred and division we’re willingly feeding ourselves every single day. And with every election cycle, we seem more than happy to swallow another dose.

Dan Frank
Ogdensburg