Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt is urging Americans from both parties to unite for the common good, saying in a new op-ed he’s committed to viewing the presidential election through the perspectives of both sides. Pratt’s column at Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper website was posted three days prior to Election Day, when Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Kamala Harris to reclaim the White House. Pratt is best known for his roles in franchises such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World and the Lego movies.
He refrained from endorsing either candidate. He also did not take part in a video with Marvel co-stars Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr. and others endorsing Harris.
“I see things from both sides,” he wrote. “I understand that people’s lives and rights are on the line. I also see that there are millions of people who feel overlooked and invisible to our government and are desperate for something to change. You may know me as a Guardian of the Galaxy, but I grew up in small-town America with a mom and dad who worked hard to make ends meet. Our family was poor. I wore hand-me-down clothes. I lived out of my car when I first moved to Los Angeles.
“Yet even though my life has drastically changed, I’m trying to make sense of the election through the eyes of Americans on both sides,” he wrote. “I’ve been thinking a lot about where we’ll be as a nation on November 6th, how we can attempt to move forward after so much division, and how some of the lessons that sports teach us may be just what all of us need as we chart a course forward.”
High school sports, he wrote, taught him how to be a gracious loser. Such lessons, he wrote, have helped him throughout life.
“I write this now because about half of the voting population is going to be incredibly disappointed on November 6th. But for me, the question is not, ‘Did your candidate win or lose?’ but rather, ‘Will you wake up the next morning and help an old lady move?’ It’s OK to take a moment to lick your wounds when you lose. Heck, go ahead and cry in the mirror. But if we become too paralyzed by defeat or too pompous in victory, allegiance to our ‘team’ can blind us to the fact that we are fellow countrymen.”
No matter who wins an election, he said, there will be “people who need help in this country.”
“Find them. Be of service,” he wrote. “America’s greatness is in the strength of our unified communities. It can be found in our places of worship, Elks clubs, Rotary clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Salvation Army, and in our service members. Our strength lies in our people who step across the political aisle not just with the handshake of a good sportsman, but a helping hand to anyone in need. So, be a good sport. We need you. Our country needs you. Team Red, Team Blue, and Team ‘Didn’t Even Vote,’ too. Your civic duty can be uniquely exercised on November 5th, but there is an even bigger civic duty required the next day: which is to accept the results and focus instead on showing up for each other.
“Check in with your neighbor -- especially if they voted for the other guy or girl,” Pratt added. “Ask how they’re doing. See how you can help. And while you’re at it, see if they know any old ladies who need help moving.”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Kevin Winter/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.