“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

It’s a simple phrase, etched into the moral DNA of every faith tradition and civic code worth its salt. Yet in today’s political climate, it feels more like a relic than a rule.

I spent years inside the Republican Party — organizing, building, believing. I saw good people trying to do the right thing.

But I also saw something darker: a drift from principle, a corrosion of fair play, and a growing tolerance for tactics that would make any decent person wince if the tables were turned. That’s why I left. Not in anger, but in clarity. I still have great respect for many of my friends who are still there and fighting to right that ship.

In a Gazette article titled “The Republican Party Needs an Exorcism,” I spoke candidly about what drove me out: the abandonment of foundational values, the erosion of truth, and the weaponization of process. What I didn’t say then — but will say now — is that the real demon isn’t partisanship. It’s the loss of the Golden Rule.

When we treat opponents as enemies, when we bend rules to win, when we prioritize power over principle — we’re not just breaking norms. We’re breaking trust. And trust, once broken, is hard to rebuild.

That’s why I’ve dedicated myself to building systems that honor transparency, compliance, and dignity. Whether it’s supporting bylaws that empower rather than exclude, or designing onboarding materials that treat every officer like a stakeholder, my goal has always been the same: to create political infrastructure that reflects the best of who we are — not the worst of what we’ve become.

Fair play isn’t weakness. It’s strength.

It’s the strength to lose with grace, to win with humility, and to govern with integrity. It’s the strength to say, “I wouldn’t want this done to me — so I won’t do it to you.”

Colorado and our nation deserve politics rooted in that kind of strength. Not just in campaign slogans, but in compliance due to character. Not just in speeches, but in systems of checks and balances upheld by compliant actions. Not just in moments — but in movements. Movements that say I might disagree with your choices, but my rights end where yours begin and vice versa.

So here’s my invitation to fellow citizens, organizers, and leaders of all political parties: Let’s bring the Golden Rule back —not as a talking point, but as a design principle. Let’s build parties, policies, and procedures that treat people the way we’d want to be treated. Let’s make fairness operational.

Because if we want to heal what’s broken, we don’t need an exorcism. We need a resurrection. Perhaps the reprehensible murder of a young man, grotesque in its display, will be enough to give us all pause and think on what it means to abide by the Golden Rule.

Karl Schneider has served as the board secretary on the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council as well as on the Board of Directors of the CIVA Charter High School in District 11. He also is a former candidate for State House District 15.