"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

A simple pledge that nearly all Americans learned in kindergarten has seemingly escaped us as a country. America has seen more heartbreak in the first half of 2016 than ever before. Mass shootings, police brutality, racism, terrorism and attacks on police and law enforcement are just a few to name. While these issues have existed for years, technology makes them harder to ignore. Hatred, disagreement and arguments over these issues is easier now than in the past due to the instant communication created through technology, Facebook and other social media. We seem to have forgotten what simple American values, such as the pledge of allegiance, really mean. For the sake of digging deeper into the meaning of some of these words, let us all be reminded of the basic definitions of these words from our United States pledge above.

Allegiance -- devotion or loyalty to a person, group or cause

One -- being the same in kind or quality

Indivisible -- impossible to divide or separate; not divisible

Liberty -- the state or condition of people who are able to act and speak freely, a political right

Justice -- the quality of being just, impartial or fair

Everyone has an opinion and everyone wants to get it out there. Being opinionated is a remarkable quality. Opinions spark discussion, debate and allow humans to expand their consciousness and knowledge. However, if not expressed for the right reason, opinions can cause more destruction than the issues at hand. When sharing our thoughts with fellow Americans, it is my belief that we are getting the dialogue wrong. Rather than sharing to discuss and listen, we seem to be sharing to convert others to our own opinion, call out those who think differently than us, or to tell others that they are wrong for not being like us. Argument will not lead to change.

Patrick Henry, a founding father of America who pushed for independence, said in his final speech on March 4,1799:

“United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs."

Aren't differences the premise of which America was built on? Different people with different beliefs, backgrounds, races, ideas and thoughts coming together? We have overcome so many obstacles in our history as a country since 1776 except the one obstacle that brought us together in the first place: our differences. Our unity through separate characteristics is what made this country into something beautiful. The color of ones skin is merely a label, much like sexual orientation, gender, religion, occupation and political party affiliation. Hatred or argument over these labels is a waste of time. Children who are born into this world do not naturally treat others differently based on characteristics, they are taught to by society. The only labels that truly exist in the world are right and wrong, dark and light. Rather than solely focusing on sharing hashtags and opinions online, it is my belief that we should learn to honestly love one another in this country. Diversity is a strength rather than a weakness; love is the only source that can bring us together as Americans united rather than divided.