Talk about a nation divided.

From former president Bill Clinton’s love affair to weapons of mass destruction and a controversial war in Iraq, it seems like nowadays both sides of the political spectrum, the left and the right, thrive to attack the actions of their opponents by any means necessary.

Looking into history, this has always been the case. Political parties want the world to believe that their candidate will do what’s right for the country and it helps them when the competition looks bad.

So even if the majority of people in the country are known to proudly wave American flags, within this country, there is still segregation.

It is true that George W. Bush has led the country into a war that many believe the U.S. has no business fighting. There have been protests and many have expressed their outrage.

On the other hand, there are also many extremely hard-core Bush supporters, many of them arguing that Bush is protecting the country and will help the U.S. maintain its values.

This year’s election has even been called one of the most important elections in American history. People are actually threatening to leave the U.S. because Bush was re-elected.

Ironically enough, it was Bush who gave a speech Dec. 13, 2001, after being elected for his first term of presidency, saying, “Our nation must rise above a house divided. Americans share hopes and goals and values more important than any political disagreements.”

That is a pretty agreeable point to make, but unfortunately, it seems like ever since Bush became elected, the United States has only become more divided.

It’s not to say that the Democrats didn’t play a part in the conflict as well. Bush-bashing, even if it is believed to be for a valid reason, doesn’t draw the Democrats or liberals much more support from the right wing.

On his HBO show, Bill Maher said, “Democrats and liberals, stop saying you’re going to move because Bush won. Real liberals should be pledging to stay because Bush won.”

Individuals should always be able freely express their opinions and try to ensure that their arguments are heard, understood, and if it is possible, accommodated, especially when they feel that they are not in the position of power that they wish to have. At the same time, everyone speaking out should make sure that they save time to listen to other voices. People should try to comprehend the reason a person would disagree with their argument and fully understand the issue. Simply believing another person is wrong is a very selfish way of living.

Instead of giving up, the people of this country should use these conflicts to better understand each other, compromise and work to actually unite the United States.