America used to be extremely innovative. When we were a young nation, we learned how to grow and expand and change. We built cities, we constructed roads and dams, and we made plenty of mistakes, many of which we are still attempting to recover from today. I think we're a nation of people that genuinely care for one another, and I think that despite all the division we experience we are capable of banding together despite being such a diverse and widespread nation. I still believe in the American spirit, and I hope we are growing towards that dream of being able to pursue happiness alongside one another, doing no harm to each other in that process.

However, I also believe that this achievement, or anything closely resembling it, is impossible under the current media and political climate. The ruling factions encourage the division; that's how they get their fame, their power, and most importantly, their money. It’s like watching sports, if there weren’t sides to pick an an enemy to hate, they wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining. The media also relishes in the division; anger is a huge trigger for people, and by invoking that emotion they get more views and more money. Right now, we have fallen into a pattern of watching and discussing but not actually taking charge of the political process. The internet has provided voters with the illusion of connectivity and importance, but in reality we are more removed from the political process than ever. We the people are not in control of this democracy, and perhaps it is impossible that we ever will be.

What's Wrong With Our Nation

Don’t get me wrong, division is part of human nature, and discussing and exploring that division is incredibly important to a functional society. Debate is what drives improvement; it's how we come to terms with our differences and even discover truth, and it is paramount for a healthy government and populous. However, what we're seeing on the news isn't debate, it's yelling at the other side for the amusement of the side that already agrees with them. Politicians don’t want to unite Americans, they want to polarize our nation even more, not so that you’ll vote for their candidate but so that you’ll vote against the person you hate. The media doesn’t want to inform voters and settle disputes, they want rile up their viewers and keep them watching their shows and clicking on their links. Actually creating programs that diffuse tensions between groups and solve problems are against their best interests, so while politicians may soothe their constituents with long winded speeches about making America a better place and the news will feature the odd story about two opposing factions joining together for a greater cause, what they really crave is conflict.

The American Dream is still there, but the system is broken, possibly beyond repair. There is no unification anymore, and we are falling apart as a nation. We would need dramatic changes both in the way we vote and the way we trust and view media, as well as huge revision of the way we think about education so that we could encourage a culture change in America’s youth. We've become too comfortable, and it's hard to shake off the precedent of 200 years of dualistic political parties and competitive spirit. It's heartbreaking to watch; people that genuinely care are road blocked by red tape and bad media coverage while people who are in politics for the fame and the money destroy our country.

Americans have the capability to change, and I think that's part of how we've become what we are in such a short amount of time. However, it seems that despite being more connected than ever, voters have felt even more removed from the political process. Scroll down the comments of almost any news article and it is very easy to see how divided and frustrated most Americans are. This frustration either causes apathy or high running emotions about a subject, then people begin to think not with what is logical and right, but how they feel about something. And the media can very easily control how people feel about a subject. It’s almost as people are treating this election less like the selection of the next president of one of the most influential countries in the world, and more like a reality TV show; fun to watch and gossip about, but not really real.

What We Can Do To Fix It

Maybe someday we’ll get someone in office who cares enough for our nation to actually fight for a new voting system that will allow for more than two large political parties. Maybe someday we’ll even have a congress that will allow this change to happen. But for now, all we can do is be aware of the problems of the system and consume our media and vote accordingly.

First, don’t believe everything you see on the news. Be aware of biases. If you’re watching a lot of FOX news, you’ll be consuming only rightist views and opinions, while if all you watch is NBC, you’ll mostly be hearing about those leftists. Before you make judgments, it is incredibly important to read both sides’ opinions so you can make as an unbiased, well informed decision as you can. Of course, it’s impossible to be completely unbiased, but it is possible to be educated on all aspects of an issue.

Way number two to instigate change is to simply be educated. Know what's wrong with our nation, know what causes it, and know ways that we can change it. Discussion and debate on important topics are necessary to keep our nation moving and improving, however misinformed people yelling half formed opinions at each other does not exactly count as real debate. Here’s a few good videos that give the basics of the electoral college, what’s wrong with our current voting system, as well as a few videos that explain the basics of a few other ideas for how we should vote, such as the alternate and single transferable vote. Here’s another video explaining thought germs and how information spreads on the internet. Want unbiased (or as unbiased as possible) news? Maybe try BBC or Science Christian Monitor (which I know doesn’t sound very unbiased, but trust me, it is). Or, if you don’t trust me when I tell you that SCM is unbiased, then you may want to try this site, which not only ranks the bias of different news sources but also individual articles.

The third and best way to fight back is to vote for someone you actually like. While this may seem like a no brainer, think about it for a second. Are you actually voting for Trump because you think he’s a good person, or because you think Hillary's a dirty liar and she reminds you a little too much of Delores Umbridge? Are you voting for Clinton because you think that she’ll make a wise and fair leader, or because you think The Donald is sexist, misinformed, and would likely burn the country while he fiddles? In other words, are you voting for someone you like, or voting against someone who you happen to hate more? It is so important that we change this voting pattern. If you don’t genuinely like either of the major party candidates, vote for a third party. No, Johnny Appleseed of the Tree Hugger Party probably isn’t going to win the election, but that wasn’t the purpose of your vote. What you are doing is sending a message that you aren’t happy with the major parties, and that you believe there needs to be change. And the hope is that if enough people do that, we will eventually get it though our politicians’ heads that something needs to be different.