The political environment has become frustrating for many Americans. It is an environment filled with misinformation, dishonesty, and an increasing distain for those who disagree. The first two have been a part of politics for a long time but it is the rise of the latter which should worry us the most. American currency holds the words “E Pluribus Unum” which is Latin for “Out of many, one.” This country was founded on the idea that anyone is welcome and even though our cultures, backgrounds, and ideas may be different, we can work together to create one great country.

The idea of ‘E Pluribus Unum' is being overpowered by a culture of greed, distrust, and hate. We are no longer listening to each other because we are too focused on being heard ourselves, even if we have to shout over everyone else. We no longer compromise to make one great whole. Instead we seek to destroy that which is different. Read political blogs and articles today, and you will see the attitude of 'us versus them' becoming more prominent. Today, people talk in terms of enemies and imbeciles as a way to simply dismiss those that disagree. Just because people disagree it does not mean they hate, yet they are often hated because they disagree.

If we wish to move this country forward, we must learn once again how to listen to each other, especially when one disagrees. When someone disagrees, they are often treated as an anathemaanathema
n 1: a detested person; "he is an anathema to me" [syn: {bete noire}]
2: a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication which only widens the chasm between us. Enemies do not seek a concept of “out of many, one”. Enemies seek to destroy each other and that is not what this country is about. The modern political world makes listening, cooperation, and compromise seem like values of a distant age; we must disabusedisabuse
v : free somebody (from an erroneous belief) ourselves of this belief and demand more of each other and our politicians. America is not a country of enemies. America is a country that must believe in e pluribus unum, for enemies only destroy when they try to conquer. Aristotle was correct when he said "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

Modern technology such as Twitter and Facebook have created wonderful new ways for us as a people to interact and share ideas. It too often becomes a reflection of the enemy mentality. These platforms must be used to reject the main stream media's partisanship and overreaction and establish new patterns of communication between honest citizens with differing opinions sharing concerns. Once we accomplish this our Founding Fathers goal of e pluribus unum can be realized.