At a time when much of the country is exasperated and angry at the sitting president, former vice president Joe Biden urged us to look ahead and also back — way back — to one of the most consequential battles in our history: Gettysburg. It is always dicey for a politician to visit the location where arguably the finest president delivered perhaps the best piece of political oratory in our history, but at least Biden grasped the significance of the place and the lesson it holds for us.

Interestingly, the Democratic nominee talked about July 4, 1863 — the day after the fighting ended, when the full scope of the carnage and destruction was evident. He made the case that “once again, we are a house divided.” He argued that we cannot afford division and that we cannot survive when differences tear apart the fabric of America. “We are facing too many crises,” Biden explained. “We have too much work to do.” He spoke of reviving the spirit of bipartisanship and vowed not to be a Democratic president, but “an American president.”

While he acknowledged that he will likely be mocked for believing we can settle our differences amicably and that we need not treat fellow Americans as the enemy, Biden’s tone and earnestness reminded us that we should have presidents who at least try to attain the lofty goal of uniting the country. We certainly do not need one whose political career is devoted to fanning hatred and division.