As our insightful first president, George Washington, advised, unity is the key to prosperity. In his Farewell Address of 1796, Washington said,“While, then, every part of our country thus feels an immediate and particular interest in union, all the parts combined cannot fail to find in the united mass of means and efforts greater strength, greater resource, proportionably greater security from external danger, a less frequent interruption of their peace by foreign nations.” There is a variety of opinions on every issue that should not be oversimplified into sections, but rather delved into by citizens seeking the best possible leaders and solutions for their country.

We should heed Washington’s warning to ensure the unity of the world’s most influential nation, a nation founded on the central values of freedom and democracy. Divisions of parties pose a threat to these original values by confining members to specific viewpoints, and in doing so, estranging opposing parties’ views. The phrase “divide and conquer” is an accurate descriptor of the effects parties have. However, in the case of America, it is the divided team that is vulnerable to conquering instead of the divided team doing the conquering. To protect the security of the nation, we must make our unity a top priority. Therefore, to protect the security of the nation, we must be wary of political parties.

In affiliating with a party, there is often a pressure to comply with the entirety of the party’s views. This stunts the growth of the individual’s thoughts and opinions which in turn stunts the improvement of our society as a whole. With these pressures to conform, new and opposing ideas from supporters of the party are discouraged. Though helpful in uniting parties, these criteria for determining an individual’s allegiance to a party lend a hand in reinforcing borders between parties.

Is innovation not initially fueled by discussions that propose ideas that are dissimilar from the status quo? Why then do we allow parties that dissuade discussion to dominate our politics? By allowing this we are permitting our First Amendment rights to be infringed upon by ourselves, the creators of the political parties. It is in our best interests to collaborate and to entertain ideas from every possible standpoint, regardless of tendency toward a party’s values.

With this year’s presidential election swiftly approaching, it’s crucial to evaluate politicians individually and try to disregard their party affiliation. A politician’s alignment with a party should not be the principal factor in earning votes; think first of their desirable qualities and last of their affiliation.