Racism must be condemned in all forms wherever it shows itself. A society, such as ours, that has the principle ‘all men are created equal’ as a cornerstone of its foundation can not stand when bigotry uses race as a means to perpetrate harm, instill fear and cause violence. I have written before about the need to change how we discuss politics with one another. I have, in the past, condemned political violence. These instances of fringe groups causing trouble and pushing a wedge further between the two true political factions that exist in our nation may be a harbinger of what is to come if we don't refocus our political lenses on what is truly important.

Identity politics, dismissive vapid arguments, generalizations and labels are all contributing factors to the unrest we see in the political arena. Many Americans, on both sides, feel they have no voice in our current system, but the crisis we face is not a lack of voices, but a lack of ears willing to listen and minds willing to construct a thoughtful response.

The incident in Charlottesville that occurred over the weekend is nothing short of a tragedy. It is an affront to the politically inclined and reasonable citizens everywhere, but it is not an event that occurred in isolation or spontaneously with no warnings at all. Political violence has been occurring at political rallies since well before the election and it is only increasing in frequency and severity. This crisis IS NOT THE PRODUCT OF WHITE SUPREMACY.

If we are being thoughtful, politically minded people who care about the well being of the common good of our society, we need to be honest about what is causing this unrest. Simply put, the violence we are seeing isn't the work of the KKK, of Donald Trump, or any one individual or group anywhere in the nation. The reality is, we are all to blame.

That is why solving these problems, uniting people and overcoming these manufactured divisions is so hard. It requires every individual to look into the mirror and take responsibility. Politics is not a sport. Politics is governance. As such, it is also a constant battle of ideas. To govern effectively individuals must engage in rigorous debate and reach meaningful compromises, but in our society of modern America, those things do not occur.

Respect, understanding and patience are all virtues that have been lost in our political arena. Empathy is completely missing when our two sides engage in discussion. Today, reason is tossed aside and replaced with raw emotion and now, more frequently, blind rage. Trump didn't create this, you may argue he used these conditions to his advantage in order to achieve power, but the conditions have been cultivated for many years and we have all helped put them into place.

No one should fear violent retribution for expressing their opinions, political or otherwise. America is a place founded with the intention of protecting all people regardless of their systems of belief. Yet, here we are mourning the loss of a young life after a political march devolved into chaos. How can we heal these wounds and close these divides?