Last week I was asked to write an editorial about the current Supreme Court case regarding Obama Care. As I researched about it, I realized how convoluted the whole process had become. Instead of being an issue of the constitutionality of the law, it had become a battle between the political parties yet again. As a concerned citizen, it’s frustrating watching our policy makers get sidetracked by the the constant feud happening between parties. If we’re to continue to progress as a country, it’s absolutely necessary for the parties to learn to work together.

Before leaving office, George Washington gave this country some of the best advice it ever ignored. He warned against political parties and the risks they bring to a new country. As cheesy as it may be to quote George Washington, his words still hold true today. Whenever I watch the news, I feel like instead of just simply being able to report a story they have to constantly take jabs at each other. Whether it be Fox News talking about the evil “liberal media” or NBC taking a jab at republicans, it seems impossible for them to talk news without complaining about the other party.

Now that’s not to say that I’m not guilty of the doing the same thing. I’m pretty liberal, and sometimes will make an unnecessary comment about conservatives. It’s petty, and does nothing but further the gap between parties. Nobody benefits from a government whose leaders sole purposes are to thwart the efforts of their opponents. Bipartisanship, which was originally meant to represent the varying opinions of the people, has now become an impediment to the country. Political parties can and should exist, but they have to be able to function efficiently because currently they are failing miserably.

If politicians became more concerned with the issues instead of opposing everything their counterparts are for, then we might actually have a successful country. But hearing politicians constantly bash each other and the policies and actions taken by the opposing party members does nothing but ruin morale and cause a larger rift in the country. We do live in a country where we have the freedom to disagree with each other and our government, but we have to know when to stop because it’s become counterproductive. Parties have the right to voice their disagreements, but they need to always be willing to compromise and move forward for the sake of the people and country.