Division - Promote it, or diminish it

When we find others that disagree with us over various topics, we have a choice to promote it, by passing it along to others which only increases the division and adds people to the divided camp, or, we have another option, one that few of us take because it requires a commitment of time and effort. We can choose to diminish the division, one person at a time; we can step outside of our comfort zone and ask them why they believe what they do. When we hear them begin to answer, we don't need to immediately form a debate to defend our own beliefs. We can walk a mile with them, in their understanding and have them show us, where they got their information. Together, we can check the source of it and see if there is merit to it, and if there is, then we both have learned something. If there isn't merit to it, we both have learned as well. We have probably learned that those that do not believe the way we do, are still kind, generous human beings that deserve respect and should have a voice to disagree with us. We have probably learned that we are more alike than different and as such, can form a friendship based on a respect for our differences. How much better would our world be if each one of us were to ask another why, not as a challenge, but as a sincere effort to understand one another and mend our battle scarred country that has been hijacked by those who do choose to divide rather than mend. Who will you be?