The country has become more divided than ever in recent years, and now we’re creating our own civil war between political parties. Issues that shouldn’t be partisan are. During the recent Brett Kavanaugh hearings, people blindly believed one person over another solely based on their politics.

Not being able to separate ourselves from a party is dangerous because it causes us to ignore the truth in favor of “loyalty”. This unwavering loyalty is isolating both sides from each other and making compromise impossible. People who try to exist in the middle are told they have to attach themselves to a side. We are silencing ourselves and preventing conversation.

We have morphed into a society that refuses to listen to each other, to the point we no longer attempt to make compromises and progress. This has caused both parties to view each other as the enemy. As a country, we need to separate ourselves from our political parties to see the people around us and listen to them to avoid the oncoming war that we’ve created.

Some of the promoters of this rift have been certain media outlets, who choose to cater to one political party over another. Stations cover what their party wants to hear. This doesn’t help solve any of our problems, it only creates more. We can’t only associate with people who think the exact same way we do. In order to stop this cycle, we must take action. Don’t just watch only one news station to get your news—watching multiple stations will offer different viewpoints and prevent individuals from becoming biased to one opinion.

Another proponent of the divide is the tendency of kids and young adults to blindly follow in the footsteps of the loudest and often most opinionated adults. Students are taught to think for themselves in school but fail to apply that knowledge as they get older. They must stop believing something because everyone else does. It is important we have our own opinions and remain individuals instead of jumping on political bandwagons.

The constant fighting and refusal to come together is what is driving the country apart—not immigration laws or Supreme Court hearings. Our country needs to relearn how to communicate and work together. It is the only way to restore unity. We have to stop viewing each other as enemies.

The other side is not the problem. Our ability to no longer compromise is the problem, and we are only making it worse by blaming each other. It is our job to realize that what the other side is saying may be worth listening to. Sit down with the people in your life and develop your communication skills. Those skills will help us have those important conversations and end the war we’ve created for ourselves.