Get along? Why should we?

There is and always will be talk of the need for bi-partisanship. But my question is, why?

This struggle to get along is an age-old battle, and in my opinion, the fighting will never end. John Lennon said, “All you need is love.” I’m sorry, but Mr. Lennon was wrong, especially when it comes to the political realm.

The Democrats and Republicans are as different as day and night. They can’t and won’t ever become bipartisan in any way because they have fundamentally different philosophies.

The discussion of bipartisanship between Democrats and Republicans goes deeper than children getting along on the playground. It is the belief systems we have and the ways we live that make us so different. The two outlooks on life and how to live it exist at opposite ends of the American spectrum.

I recently attended a debate between party representatives on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. One of the topics was illegal immigration, and this helped to spell out the fundamental differences between the parties. As the Democrats spoke of illegal immigration, or as they called it, “undocumented immigration,” I realized that even if these people were my friends, we would never agree on this fundamental issue.

We can never see eye to eye when our views on what this country stands for and what it should stand for are completely different. We all know the differences between policy platforms, and I don’t need to explain them here. But these differences come down to everything in life. Comparing a very liberal Democrat to a very conservative Republican, there are noticeable differences that go all the way down to the fact that their children are raised differently. For these two types, there are very few commonalities.

Yes, it makes us all feel great inside when our Democratic and Republican politicians can sit down and agree on a policy and write something up for it without problem. It is great when both sides can look at a Medicare bill and quickly amend this or that and put it into action. But overall, why are people so worried about the two sides getting along? Not only are they different, they also should not get along. Our country’s government is based on the idea of debate and argument.

The lack of bipartisanship is not a bad thing. People act as if the bickering and fighting is the end of all things. There are some moments when this arguing makes passing certain bills a huge problem, but doesn’t that keep the system in check?

If we all got along, all bills would pass without question. We would have bills that were not written to the best benefit of the people, and the citizens would be neglected. This lack of friendliness between the parties keeps each of the parties from getting too much power. With constant argument, it is harder to pass legislation, which is how it should be—the parties should question each other.

John Lennon’s idea of needing love is null and void in the political realm. Not only is it more amusing to watch politicians bicker, it is also basic to our government. The fundamental differences that divide the Democrats and the Republicans are more useful to the citizens in this country than any agreement between the parties. Let them fight and argue for our sakes. Who needs the fake friendliness they call bipartisanship anyway?