Farley Santos

Dear Neighbor,

The first Fourth of July Facebook post was more of a joke than anything else.

Nine years ago, my best friend and I snapped a photo with our much younger children and posted the image on social media.

It was meant to be a friendly quip about bipartisanship, as my friend and I are on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

But the posts have taken on a more sober -- and significant -- meaning, as our discourse has become increasingly and troublingly divided.

Now the annual post is a valid reminder that, while we may disagree politically, there is more that binds us together than divides us.

The first five letters of "civilization" are "C-I-V-I-L". Let's remember that we all have far more in common than the things that could drive us apart. I have no doubt we all love our neighbors, our city, our state and our country.

But let's also remember to always be civil.