Most students focus on grades, their jobs, relationships and more during their years at college. On top of all that, Rockwall senior Laney Sledge runs her very own boutique.

Remember the words of Abraham Lincoln, who, honestly, lived in a time of much deeper division than we do. “A house divided cannot stand,” he said, echoing the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. He knew it then, and we know it now: America has two choices.

Political polarization in America has gone beyond debates and ballot boxes, driving wedges between loved ones and turning neighbors into adversaries. As ideological divides deepen and tensions escalate, can we find a way to reclaim civil discourse, or are we destined to live in a nation where division and distrust define us?

In such a polarized political environment, the loudest action you can take is saying nothing at all. If people want to make assumptions about your character based on stereotypes, your ethnicity or even your age, let them.