Violence of all kinds has become increasingly prevalent in the US, brutally demonstrated by recent events like the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarustka, the assassination of conservative political figure Charlie Kirk, and – closest to home – the Grand Blanc church shooting last weekend. Our communities, which were once able to come together and unite against important causes, are now fractured and broken. Our politicians fight over issues that should not be separated between parties. Violence and destruction are slowly destroying our country and to ensure the continuation of democracy, communities and students must unite and band together to create a healthier, safer world for the next generation.

The rise in partisanship and political polarization at both the state and national levels has significantly impacted our school and the surrounding community. On the least dangerous level, legislators in Michigan are willing to sacrifice free lunch for 1.4 million students over a partisan budget deadlock. On the most dangerous level, politicians are increasing the potential for violence by pinning the blame on one party, as many Senators and Representatives did after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, further increasing the divide between Americans when tragedy is something that we should all rally together to prevent.

Violence is neither left nor right, liberal nor conservative. It affects everyone, and will not solve any problems. This isn’t just a problem evident at the legislative level, but it’s also present in our own communities. We are divided politically on a government level, but also can’t seem to come together as communities and neighbors, letting politics rip us apart despite all of our commonalities. The highly debated issues we see today affect us, our parents, and our friends, but politicians continually become more and more cold and unaccepting towards each other instead of working together to put a stop to the horrible instances of violence and crime we see every day.

To return to a united America, communities and politicians must rebuild their trust in one another and learn to listen to the facts and communicate effectively. Within the government, politicians from opposite sides must learn to work together and pass bipartisan laws, putting aside their differences for the safety and security of our nation. If the current practice of excessive violence continues, hate will overtake our democracy and become the norm. Politicians have a responsibility to keep our communities and our country united. We want to be able to talk with our neighbors and classmates without fear of being judged for our political beliefs. We want to listen and trust our politicians. We can’t do this without unity and community at the local, state, and federal level. We are the future of this country, but until we can vote and enact change for ourselves, we need our legislators to step up, put peace over party, and turn our nation back toward civility.