With the midterms having past, we can now scour the carnage of both the Republicans and the Democrats.

After all the hate ads, and all the borderline slanderous acts, all that remains is a divided country. Why? We like to believe that the other side is “evil,”  and we disrespect everyone who doesn’t hold the same beliefs as we do.

Instead of listening and learning, we chose to disregard each others views and frame them as, “ridiculous.”

The fact is, America would not exist without a bipartisan system. Without Republicans, we wouldn’t have eradicated slavery, without Democrats we wouldn’t have made it through the Great Depression.

No matter how much we look down on the other party, the truth is, without separate parties we would cease to be a democracy.

Our divide as a country comes not from our separate views, but our lack of understanding for the other party.

We tend to look at issues in black and white.

For example, consider the second amendment.  Republicans tend to think that most Democrats want a complete ban on guns. This is almost entirely false. The majority of Democrats believe that Republicans want free reign on guns. This is also false.

Instead of seeing the world in this black and white image, a way of bringing color to our views, would be bringing specifics into the light. Instead of saying, “Why would you completely ban guns?” ask, “At what age do you think guns should be registered,” or “What type of guns do you think should be banned?” Instead of asking a Republican, “Why do you like guns so much when they kill people?” Instead ask, “How could we find a bipartisan solution to school shootings which is feasible?”

In Tyrone there is little division, as it is a rather conservative area. However, when a conservative idea is challenged the automatic reaction is often one of disgust and rejection. Instead of rejecting an idea automatically, instead mull it over yourself, become more independent and let yourself be persuaded based on the ideas merit as opposed to one’s own merit.

Humility is key to America’s future. Don’t allow yourself be sucked into a vacuum of black and white. Don’t allow yourself to be persuaded just because it came from a Democrat or a Republican.

Both sides have good ideas and plans, it is our responsibility as Americans to decide the good ones from the bad ones. Do this with humility and respect for the country, not the candidates.  

Remember the words of Aristotle, who said “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”