Acquainted with Many Minds

It is easy for me to feel frustrated with politics. Sometimes, when I work out on cardio machines, I like to flip between news channels to catch up on current events using several viewpoints. For example, one day I switched between Fox News and CNN. What frustrates me the most is the competitive attitude against the "opposing" party. I notice this a lot on social media as well:

"[Some Democrat] does not care about the American way of life."
"[Some Republican] does not care about the American people."
"Liberals are astray and do not uphold any established values."
"Conservatives are backwards and do not see different points of view."

I don't quote any one source, but I paraphrase many of the arguments I've seen and heard.

I know it's hard to settle differences. As I ponder all of this, I am reminded of my own background, my own biases. I realize my ideological background is more diverse than I originally thought. Looking at my friends, family, acquaintances, and everyone I interact with in person or online, I realize that I have influences on both sides of many political, ideological, and even some moral issues. On some things I feel certain, on others I feel less certain, and I sometimes get frustrated with arguments and verbal attacks. But, I am grateful to be acquainted with many minds. I am grateful to know a diverse circle of people, and that allows me to see the world in more ways than I could on my own.  From there, I have the freedom to think, speak, and act according to the dictates of my conscience.