On the heels of another national travesty, the gun control debate is on nearly everyone’s mind, and rightfully so. Politicizing the events that transpired in Las Vegas during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival is not the answer.

Other recent newsworthy events, such as the string of hurricanes that struck Puerto Rico and some southern states, have prompted citizens on both the left and the right to immediately jump into their respective camps and continue arguments.

This solves nothing.

To log into Twitter or Facebook, only to join a spirited debate about gun control or any other issue in a comment thread, regardless of your political alliances, is the incorrect response. Whether it be between friends, family or even complete strangers, this line of thinking of hostile political clashes will not solve anything.

Everyone has their opinions, beliefs and morals, but when politics get in the way of basic human decency, it becomes impossible to enact actual change. It seems to be a constant cycle. An event of any kind occurs and is debated by those who are adamant their opinion is the right way to do things or the proper way to think.

Yes, expression of opinion should be encouraged. To some extent, it is beneficial that these issues and events are being discussed so thoroughly in any fashion. However, when this is taken to the extreme, people claiming unflinching allegiance to their political ideology is counterproductive.

Political parties are so divided that it seems to make the process of even starting to find solutions puts actual change out of the question. Maybe this is why George Washington, the father of our country, warned us not to create political parties.

Politicians and everyday citizens in this country are so set in their beliefs that the ability to work together as a nation seems like something we may never accomplish.

Stephen Paddock’s atrocious act of violence is just the most recent example. It is a constant cycle. Soon the most pertinent topic of discussion that week or month will get put on the backburner.

It is not fair to those affected and to every other citizen in this country. Change cannot take place without both sides having the ability to work together for one common goal: improving the country we all call home.

The time for our country to come together as a united force instead of a divisive, argumentative mass of people has passed, but it is never too late to start that process.