I've never felt less equipped to speak to the issues of the republic.

Seemingly every American wears blinders of partisanship and clings to "facts" spewed by those who think just like them. Every Joe with a pulpit preaches to his own choir, and the choirs rarely sing to one another.

Reasonable questions - about the wisdom of everything from the president's immigration order to Steve Bannon's ascension to the NSC - are blasted as partisan by the administration and his backers. Even though conservatives from Bill Kristol to John Dean - who did time for Richard Nixon - wonder what the hell is going on in their country.

Legitimate media is told to 'keep its mouth shut" by a guy who came to power running a partisan blog. The press, Bannon now argues, is "the opposition party."

As if that's an insult.

The press, of course, has always served as the opposition to power, questioning authority and asking questions politicians don't want asked. If news comes approved by those in control of government, it's more Pravda than free press.

But it's hard in all this rancor to find words that do not vanish in the fog of warring partisanship, do not poke the predictable buttons or preach to a choir that's heard enough. I don't want to alienate those who disagree with me, because I don't have all the answers. Disagreement is welcome and needed and critical. If we cannot disagree with respect we're destined to collapse in confrontation.

We've been there before. And that's as frightening as anything that happens in Washington today.

We've reached a stunning point where Americans see each other as enemies, where we apologize for the failures and forgive the lies of those with whom we agree while we attack those who differ and tag them with labels that instantly marginalize.

Libtards.

Repugnicans.

And we wonder where the reason has gone in this world. We demand to know what happened to respect. For people, and for institutions, and for the country itself.

As we kill it. Line by line and meme by meme.

It's worse these days because so many of us live in our phones and form views from comments on social media that assault and blame. I rarely respond to those. For a fight between my views and someone else's hardly ever results in anything but a hardened divide.

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, right, watches as White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, center, hands President Donald Trump a confirmation order for James Mattis as defense secretary, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

We don't have to agree. That is America. We just have to live with our choices.

Of course we should speak out. Of course we should stand proudly for the things we believe. Of course you should march and protest if you feel the very nature of the country is under threat. Of course we should exercise the rights our founders held so dear.

It's hard, as I said, to know what to say in moments when passions are so high, when fear and anger is so close to the surface.

So I say only to hold to the things Americans have always claimed to value. Liberty to think and speak, freedom to assemble and express, opportunity to achieve and to pursue happiness, respect and the rule of law.

Ask not only where we want the country to go, but how we will be remembered in the mirror of history.

Will I stand for the rights of others? Or only for myself?

Will I stand on principle and for decency? Or will I react to anger and fear?

Do I believe all are created equal? Or do I think America itself was built on a lie?

Will I question, or simply go along.

America is at a crossroads, and so are all Americans. Which road will you take?