After years of odious political behavior, it is time for elected officials to focus on governing our nation with civility and respect. It is time to go back to acting for the common good.

Enough is enough.

Our country needs leaders, irrespective of party affiliation, to set aside differences and unite – not to demagogue and jockey for power.

America is weakened by the continual onslaught of character assassinations, false accusations, misinformation and bitterness, which has been pervasive over the last dozen years.

We do not know who to trust or what is accurate and correct. Rather than seeking the truth, too many in the media hijack the facts to fit their narrative. That only stokes the flames of divisiveness by denigrating political leaders with whom they disagree.

If the rancid behavior continues, how will those we elected govern our country?

Four years ago, when Joe Biden was sworn in as president, he promised a return to civility and bipartisanship. Then he hastily issued a barrage of divisive executive orders, undoing his predecessors’ actions. So much for unity. The partisan war was back on.

The senseless and abusive name-calling and characterizations assassinations by both sides continues. It is not just Donald Trump but caustic media personalities as well. President-elect Trump needs to lead the return to civility. 

So, this holiday season, we should pause and be thankful. We all need to remember what is best for our nation and figure out how we move forward with dignity and respect for one another.

It would be good to consider what a pair of Vietnam combat veterans recommend.

Retired Admiral Jeremiah Denton was a Navy combat pilot shot down in 1965 over North Vietnam. Denson was held captive for seven years in the notorious Hanoi Hilton – a place where Sen. John McCain, also a naval aviator, was detained. Denton and McCain were among 700 Americans POWs.

When the prisoners were released in 1972 and flown to Clark Air Force base in the Philippines, Denton, as the senior ranking POW, was the spokesman. 

They beat you with fists and fan belts, he recalled. They warmed you up and threatened you with death. Then they really got serious and gave you something called the rope trick (ropes connected to iron shackles on arms and legs designed to dislocate and break bones). 

A grateful Denton’s concluding words were, “God Bless America!”

Denton was elected to the U.S. Senate (1981-87) and continued to preach the need to respectfully treat one another and to remember American soldiers and sailors are the ones who fought and died for our freedoms.

In 1992, retired Lt. Gen. Harold Moore wrote, “We Were Soldiers Once… and Young,” the basis for the Mel Gibson movie, “We Were Once Soldiers!” Moore led American forces in the week-long Battle of la Drang in South Vietnam. Despite being encircled and significantly outnumbered by the North Vietnamese Army, Moore’s troops managed to clear a landing area so helicopters could evacuate troops.

During the battle, Army helicopter pilot Bruce Crandall, who grew up in Olympia, flew 22 missions into enemy fire to evacuate more than 70 wounded and bring ammunition and supplies to la Drang. In total, Crandall flew 90 combat missions in Vietnam for which President George W. Bush presented him with the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2007.

In a 2008 open letter to America, Moore called upon the presidential candidates to sign a “Pledge of Sacred Honor” to treat one another with “civility.” Moore passionately believed that, as hotly contested as political campaigns become, dignity and respect must be maintained.

Both Moore and Denton have passed away, but, hopefully, their wisdom lives on. These are things to consider this holiday season and in the year ahead.

Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer, and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and now lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at theBrunells@msn.com.