Political Open-mindedness

How the mighty have fallen.....

As I tune in to the occasional political talk show to try and stay up-to-date on the goings on in D.C., I.m very often brought back to the realization that our country has never been more divided along party lines.
Our elected "leaders" do little to ease this tension because all they truly endorse is additional power and money for themselves and their colleagues. People often base their opinion on another human being based on whether or not there's a D or an R after the person's last name. It seems to be that we have completely lost ALL compassion for those who do not align with our own beliefs.....that's pretty damn cocky; to think that YOU have all the right answers to what ails us as a nation. 

How did we get to this point?
How did we become so incredibly thin-skinned? So easily offended? As if someone presents an opposing view, they are a direct threat to our humanity. It's crazy!!!

What has happened to true, open debate where people do not feel the need to talk over one another? (Not that the candidates for any elected office do much better)
Does anyone care to learn any more? And even if you don't agree with a person after you have had a civil discourse, then agree to disagree and part and friends. For God's sake it's truly maddening. 
Consider the possibilities that exist if our elected officials could simply find a way to meet in the middle. (For the record, if you remove a few hot button topics from both sides, there's really not a plug nickels worth of difference between them.) What technology could we unwrap, diseases could we cure?

Please, the next time you come across someone with different views than you do, TALK to them. Maybe, just maybe, they can open your mind to a new way of looking at a given topic or issue. Just be able to back up WHY you hold the views that you do. If you're unable to do that simple task, you look rather silly and simple-minded.