Varied viewpoints on America

The Trump inauguration, subsequent protests and a week of actions by the new administration point to both an historic moment in the American experiment and the need to listen to each other.

The great American experiment in operating a democratic republic continues on. That’s a testament to the wisdom of the Founding Fathers, as well as the enduring rigor of a system of checks and balances that has been periodically refined and improved for more than two centuries now.

Our robust and flexible system of governance is sure to be both needed — and stress-tested — in coming days and months as a profoundly divided America moves past national elections and heads back to the day-in, day-out business of handling the affairs of a great nation.

The inauguration of President Donald J. Trump came off largely as expected. And inauguration weekend brought hundreds of marches by Trump critics and opponents in Washington, other U.S. cities and elsewhere around the globe. The latter protests showcase the strength and beauty of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, which provides broad protection for five freedoms essential to liberty.

Against a national backdrop brimming with distrust, disdain and arguments over “alternative facts” and a host of other matters, it seems more important than ever that a strong marketplace of ideas remain at the forefront of American-style civic disclosure. Toward that end, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution presents today a varied slate of opinions about where our national affairs now stand.