As the world spins on its axis, the country sits at yet another crossroads. What makes our country so special is the fact that we can all agree to disagree. Free speech provides society with an outlet to express itself freely. What eludes me, however, is the fact that we often use that same freedom of speech to downplay, distort, and deny the perspectives of our political counterparts. We sit and point fingers at one another, declaring each side to be wrong. To move forward and progress, it is imperative that we make a conscious effort to listen and compromise on issues rather than remain dissonant toward individual perspectives.
What makes such a nation great is its ability to rationalize and consider all sides of the political aisle. To demand without giving back creates a system of misfortune. This misfortune culminates in vast amounts of time, energy, and resources being wasted simply trying to prove one another wrong or ineffective at leading. Such social and political conflict can become detrimental to a nation’s success.
To spout lies across the political aisle leads to hatred and the spread of misinformation. Each political party in America is guilty of this, for both Democrats and Republicans have, at times, chosen to isolate fact from fiction when doing so serves their political interests. Social ideologies can conflict within society, but to assume that the other side is entirely wrong creates an environment where nothing seems capable of being accepted as truth.
Some will say that the truth shall set you free. But what is truth in a world full of so many people? People of all walks of life, experiences, and opinions help spin and turn the melting pot that is America. Each person develops different streams of logic, reasoning, and sometimes even a lack thereof, in an attempt to make sense of the world around them and get their point across.
Ignorance toward the social ideology of others creates a divided nation. As Honest Abe Lincoln once warned, “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” Whether we compromise or not remains, in part, in the hands of the individuals we have collectively elected into office. Yet I have watched both sides of the aisle seemingly become incapable of listening to reason and living righteously by it. Instead, political opponents are often torn down simply because they represent a different worldview.
Each side develops strategies and campaigns to preserve its beliefs, yet life does not always work that way—or at least it shouldn’t. Political issues such as immigration, war in the Middle East, climate change, and global warming have become so polarized that it can sometimes become difficult for the average citizen to determine where fact ends and political rhetoric begins.
On one side, we see movements that challenge traditional cultural and family values. On the other, we see political movements that can become equally unwilling to acknowledge legitimate concerns from their opponents. When both sides become convinced that their own perspective represents the entirety of truth, the political pendulum swings further and further away from reason. Such contrasting positions create confusion and heartache, ultimately causing many citizens to become disinterested in their civic duty as Americans.
To tell the tale of human compassion and understanding is to lead a nation toward compromise. Compromise on issues that are near and dear to our hearts requires something difficult: overcoming our own selfish ways of thinking and coming together as equals across the aisle.
To spout lies back and forth until they eventually become accepted as truth within a nation’s mindset is deeply dangerous. The indoctrination of a nation and its people can create a cycle of division that causes lasting and sometimes irreversible damage. Say what you want about the founders of our nation, yet they understood that governing a diverse people would require compromise. The balance of power and public opinion should not be shifted blindly left or right, but should remain grounded in logic, reason, and truthful principles that people can examine for themselves.
One does not simply have to get everything one wants. Democracy was never designed around the idea that everyone gets everything they demand. Instead, democracy offers something perhaps more valuable: a sliver of hope that everyone can have a voice in determining what happens within our country.
Perhaps the greatest challenge facing America is not choosing between the left and the right, but remembering that there is a road between them. That road is paved with reason, compromise, compassion, and the willingness to listen. We may never completely agree with one another, and perhaps we were never meant to. But if we can disagree without destroying one another, then perhaps the house can remain standing.
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