The wicked spirit of division has possessed this nation of ours. No matter where you turn, there is the hand of reality to slap you in the face without any remorse or apology. Americans are noticing that politicization is all over the place. Politicization runs in the veins of religion, education, sports, business, movies, music, news and even pop culture. When the government is involved in every aspect of our lives, citizens become the influencers and raise their voice against the government. They will use any resource necessary to voice their opinions to the ears of the government. Politics rarely took center stage. The times have changed, and it is the leading actor.

An argument in these hostile days results in complete, utter chaos. 

Division plants its horrid seed in the mind of many Americans through one source—the news media. Journalists and editors have chosen popularity with their bosses, money, and fame above principle. They want to be “in” with the “in crowd,” they want to be liked. Conservative and liberal media examines reports without a counter-opinion, even if the opinion weights facts. It is the role of journalists to question the motives of politicians. Journalists should never have friends among politicians and should never accept favors. In the 2016 election, journalists gave more than $396,000 to the presidential campaigns of Clinton and Trump. Few want to deal with the truth when they create their liberal or conservative viewpoint instead of confronting their failures. Only 24 percent of Americans believe the media, in general, are “moral.” The number surges to 53 percent when people are asked about the news media they use most often.

It does not take much for anything to become a chess piece in the game of politics. A couple of days after the Las Vegas shooting, Fox News anchor Sean Hannity took the time to point out how Democrats and liberals in the mainstream media take advantage of tragedy calling for more gun control. However, Hannity used the tragedy to his means to discuss conspiracy theories about the murder of Seth Rich, the young Democratic National Committee staff member who was shot in front of his home in the summer of 2016. Hannity persisted until Rich’s parents stepped in to tell him to stop turning their son’s death into a political football.

To involve politics in our daily grind is to make others aware and to signify a demand for change. Disagreeable politics should raise a flag to call for counter arguments and stimulating debate, yet it births hostility. The weary minds of Americans suffer from political exhaustion. Members of marginalized groups feel the need to fall in line and act accordingly as not to fit into negative stereotypes portrayed by mainstream standards. Tired of politics, tired of fighting about politics, and tired of every screen flooded with political propaganda. We wolf down every piece of information on our plate, but we have no time to digest it because another meal has been prepared. In response, we react with anger to battle against the outside world. According to Pew Research, more Americans paid attention to the 2016 election. The more added up to be 27 percent from the previous 16 percent. The election infested every aspect of our lives, and everyone is fed up with walking on eggshells. The heightened tensions should make us reorient our narrow perceptions and enable an objective exchange of ideas to push forward with progress. When the chance for mutual recognition of ideas and intelligent debate replaces bigotry and rage, there can be a chance for peace.