Dear single-issue voter,

I admire your passion, and your commitment. I might make fun of some/most/all beliefs, but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect your convictions.

As perhaps the most important presidential election in modern history looms, however, I respectfully ask that you take a look at the bigger picture, put the thing that has always guided your political actions in a new context, and cast your ballot in the name of the greater good.

The greater good — it’s a tough one, isn’t it? Unborn lives versus those that are already facing an uphill battle; the fear that someone might take your guns away versus the ease with which a criminal might have access to a firearm; the idea that the government is going to take more of the money you honestly earned; the creeping menace of illegal immigration.

I’m not going to argue with you about your views on these subjects. I’d just like to ask you some questions.

Is it worth voting for someone who will spend a lot of time trying to undo Roe v. Wade, if that person is going to make access to health care even more difficult for the babies that are born?

Would it be worth voting for someone who you think is going to take your guns away, when a) attacks on your right to bear arms have been consistently rebuffed by administrations of both parties, and b) that candidate will work to improve education, which has been proven to result in less violent crime?

Is it worth voting for a candidate who says he’s going to fix the tax code, when his stated plan objectively continues to favor the rich?

You get the point.

A look beyond your chosen issue might offer an opportunity for compromise that benefits everyone — and never forget, you are very much a part of everyone — without giving up the fight.

You never have to give up the fight. I’m just asking you to consider the fact that while the fight goes on, so does life in America. Please, consider it — for the greater good.

Thanks for your time, Scott

This article appears in Nov 3-10, 2016.