America has become divided. A nation polarized by partisan politics, the United States is falling apart. 2020 can be defined as the epitome of destruction, so I understand why we all have become so hostile. Every night, I watch CNN with my family. Every night, I hope to see something positive. But right now, that’s too much to ask for.

To be completely honest, nobody is focusing on a common goal anymore. I’ve noticed that we focus on political affiliation more than anything now, and that’s becoming a major problem. Democrats and Republicans have debated policies for a long time. But now, especially as the November election is creeping up, this disagreement has turned personal.

Groups of people associate their identity with their political party. “Every single thing about our lives is divided along partisan lines,” said David Barker, the director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University. Because we’re so partisan, we don’t associate with people from the “other side” very often. And since we try not to visit this other side, we’re never going to be exposed to information that could change our perception of the world as a whole.

This isn’t giving America any chance to grow. We’re blinded by our own ignorance. 

The other day in a local Target, I noticed that a woman was wearing a “Peace, Love, Bernie Sanders” t-shirt. A group of boys, some around my age, went up to the woman, and jeered, “Trump 2020!” Both the group laughed at the lady as they walked past her.

No one expects Democrats and Republicans to just agree on the issues that divide them, but especially since November 3rd is just around the corner, we must reach a mutual understanding that we all are entitled to our own beliefs. We need to learn how to peacefully coexist before it’s too late.

The division within America came to a head last Tuesday during the first Presidential Debate. The debate was supposed to be a forum where undecided voters could learn about the policies of the individual candidates and decide who they want to vote for.

However, the conversation, or lack thereof, did nothing of the sort. The debate was plagued by shouting, interruptions, and insults. Both candidates spoke over each other’s answers and the moderator began to scream as well. Instead of giving solace to an already broken America, they displayed just how divided we are. We’ve become hopeless.

I really do believe that 2016 inspired the beginning of such tension in the United States. We became hostile, insensitive citizens who could care less about the sake of our country. This terrifies me, as I’ve always thought that people formed their beliefs based on the growth of our nation. But now, it’s become clear that being “right” is more important than being “just.”