Give me a break, America. This is Armageddon! We are more afraid of the clowns lurking the streets than the clowns headed to Washington! Is this what we want? A world so polarized and politically charged that we turn on one another? Friends, neighbors, colleagues, and even family members spitting obscenities at one another over poorly developed opinions? We are a country that promotes diversity amongst its people, yet we shun those who possess beliefs different from our own? What do we have to say for ourselves?

I can't scroll through Facebook for more than five seconds without seeing a political post riddled with commentary, accusations, and hate. What is it all for? Of course I am a firm believer in freedom of speech and I am executing my right at this very moment, but what are we all so desperately attempting to do here? This is not a simple promotion of personal opinions; this is a bloodbath. Who is actually changing their entire opinion and ideology upon reading a poorly written Facebook status? No one. We are creating a continuation of the conflicts as opposed to joining forces in hopes of solving the real issues plaguing our nation. All I see developing from this is an increase in frustration and closed-mindedness. Instead of embracing the differing opinions expressed, we cover our ears, close our eyes, and shout our own beliefs at the top of our lungs. Where is the good in that?

I am deeply concerned that many of us are suffering from a sort of political blindness where we believe the cure lies simply in electing who we believe to be the "right candidate for the job." Unfortunately, the problem seems to run much deeper than casting a ballot and calling it a day. The problem revolves around the relationships we have built with one another in regards to our personal political ideologies. Whatever happened to the understanding that we are different and it is okay to "agree to disagree?" How about shooting the breeze with some friendly banter without aiming to insult and undermine the moral integrity of others? Why must all discussions nowadays be fueled by so much hatred and ignorance? Fun Fact: Everyone has an opinion. Extra Fun Fact: People's opinions tend to vary. Wow, I'll give you a second to process that. I'm sure you're rather shocked and taken aback by that little known fact.

Let's regroup. Take a breath. We are all in this sh*t storm together. We are feeding the egos of politicians who do not have our best interest at heart, and that is frightening, and really rather pathetic. With this influx of anger, we are actively giving ourselves over to the corruption and absurdity without so much as listening. We hear what they say, but are we listening? Perhaps we are only hearing what we want to, and only listening when it's convenient. We prevail in a system that is flawed, but why don't we stop to rewrite the narrative? I hear lots of complaints and see far too little action. This is no longer a democracy- it's democrazy. We the people need to help clean up this mess instead of continuing to spew useless garbage out into the world.

We are all guilty, really. We are active audience members of a crappy reality TV show called "The 2016 Presidential Election." Think about it. There are spray tans in use. There's excessive drama over deleted and "irretrievable" messages. Tweets were also deleted, but we've got screenshots of those. Series finale airs November 8th. Starring: Egos Bigger Than Our Debt and Hands Smaller Than Our Hope.

I don't mean to be directly offensive to anyone, I just think we could all use a reality check right about now. Being an opinionated and involved American is an awesome thing, but we are starting to cross that fine line between being active and being angry. It is okay to be fired up and to want to make a change, but please take a moment to reflect on yourself and your actions. Are these incessant political posts that erupt into full-on debates worth anyone's time right now? If no one is changing their minds, can we at least agree to change our approach? Perhaps add some manners to our discussions and room for growth. Allow others to talk, but do not be silenced. Question the opinions of others, but do not be offended when they question yours. Fight for what you believe in without compromising your dignity. Listen to new approaches with the mindset that they might be enlightening instead of immediately assuming that they're opprobrious. Challenge beliefs but allow yours to be challenged as well. We all could learn something, so why not at least try?

America: we are divided enough as is right now. Please, fight the urge to promote change with hate-fueled rhetoric and begin to utilize facts, honest communication, and adult listening skills. Regardless of the outcome on November 8th, if we remember to recognize that we are one united nation and not just a hodgepodge of politically categorized robots, well, we just might stand a chance.