Starting in kindergarten, we learned to pledge allegiance to our flag. Every day we are on the Assembly floor, we pledge allegiance to our flag, too. And often, it can be like muscle memory, as if you’ve said the words so many times you don’t have to think about their meaning. The word “indivisible” — that we are a nation that cannot be divided — is such an important message that is often overlooked.

In recent years, the United States has shown the opposite of being “indivisible,” as we’ve witnessed a deepening and dangerous division in politics. What was once a principled debate of ideas between Republicans and Democrats has not only stalled legislative solutions to changes that we all agree on, like increased community safety, it has also impacted civil discourse, torn communities and families apart, and, most disturbingly, endangered and taken lives.

The growing political division is complex, fueled by hyper-partisan media and social media echo chambers with algorithms designed to profit off of our doom scrolling — narrowing our viewpoints and the information we see — as well as decades of growing mistrust in our institutions. However, the consequences of this division are painfully clear. Our politics no longer revolve around policy disagreements, but have turned into identity wars where opposing views are treated as evil and as threats rather than simply people with differing views. This is when it becomes easier to justify hostility, dehumanize, and even become violent. It’s unacceptable.

Let’s be clear though, that racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other hatred is........

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