In light of recent tragedies, particularly the gruesome Orlando massacre, it is time that we, as a country take a step back and form a united front against domestic and international violence. It should not take a tragic event to unify this country. It is time we stop hating each other for our differences, and love each other for what we all have in common: we are Americans. We live in this country and it is our jobs as inhabitants of the land of the free to make sure it remains just that. Why should we let terrorists tarnish our name, compromise our beliefs, and scare us into not living life to the fullest? We have plenty of foreign enemies as it is, the last thing we need is being hateful towards one another from one American to the next.

The upcoming election is simply another indication of how this country is completely taking a turn for the worst. Our two primal candidates include a criminal likely to be indicted if elected, and a misogynistic, narcissistic, non-diplomatic buffoon. It really is a shame that when the United States needs a leader the most, there is no one adequate willing to step up.

The foundation of which this country was built upon is being completely contradicted as of late. I wish we could all just agree to disagree.Perhaps by asking “why,” we will learn the answer to “how.” In Orlando, a gun got into the hands of someone who wanted to use a weapon not to protect, but to destruct. The individual behind the gun should never have had access to it to begin with considering he was being investigated previously. At the same time, however, it wasn’t the gun that killed those innocent civilians. It was the person who chose to point that gun and pull the trigger.

It should not matter what your race, gender, sexual orientation, political views or yearly income is. We are all human beings and deserve to be treated as such. We may offer different opinions on how to solve current social and fiscal conundrums, but the first step towards improvement is agreeing to disagree. As the wise Garth Brooks once said, “when there’s only one race and that’s mankind, we shall be free.”