Choose Kindness

Choose Kindness
by Alex Kaiser

It’s no secret that America feels more divided than ever. Politics today often seems less about ideas and more about winning—about proving someone else wrong instead of seeking what’s right for everyone. Turn on the news, scroll through social media, or even glance at your group chats, and you’ll see it: tension, suspicion, and the sharp edges of disagreement. But what if we chose to take a lesson from this moment—not about how to argue better, but about how not to become what we see on the national stage? Here in Oklahoma City, that challenge—and opportunity—falls squarely on our shoulders.

Now, we love to pat ourselves on the back in Oklahoma City about how awesome we’re becoming—and let’s be honest, we’ve earned it! We’ve got a Thunder Championship, MAPS for dayzz, James Beard–nominated chefs putting our food scene on the national map. This city is thriving in every single way possible. But we also need to be careful not to become complacent. Progress isn’t just about cranes in the skyline or new restaurants opening—it’s about continuing to be a city and a culture where diversity of thought matters.

We can start with something simple: being kinder to our neighbor. Not just the person who votes like us or believes like us, but the one who doesn’t. When someone’s perspective feels foreign or even uncomfortable, that’s the moment to lean in with curiosity rather than judgment. Listening doesn’t mean agreeing—it means respecting that someone else’s story led them to their view, just as ours led us to ours.

If we’re not vigilant, our workplaces, city councils, and community boards can become echo chambers where only familiar voices are welcome. That’s not diversity of thought; it’s comfort disguised as community. True growth comes when we challenge ourselves to hear perspectives that stretch us, even frustrate us. It’s easy to say we value diversity, but it takes courage to live it—to invite it, sit with it, and learn from it.

Our community leaders have a special role to play. Whether you lead a team, a classroom, a company, or a congregation—lead with openness. Encourage your peers in government to do the same. Let Oklahoma City be known not just for its growth and resilience, but for its civility—for being a place where people disagree with respect, where dialogue replaces division.

A saying I often come back to—whether I’m talking about religion, sexuality, or politics—is this: I don’t care what you believe in or who you believe in, as long as what you believe makes you a good, kind, loving human to share Earth with, then….let’s go!!