Our nation was built on the ideals of the American Dream. Separating from British rule, the Founding Fathers of this nation implemented concepts through innovation and discussion, guiding their vision of virtue, liberty, and unity. Developing pivotal documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights continued the ideologies Americans wished for all along. These documents, paving the way for generations to come, inspired Americans to create the environment in the United States the Founding Fathers fought tirelessly for. Brimming with citizens that were proud to be Americans and fulfilling patriotism in this country, with joy in their hearts for one’s nation.Over time, the nation Americans once knew has changed drastically. In recent elections the division of this nation has become apparent and many wonder the reason for abandoning the premise of this nation. The United States was founded on the privilege of empowerment towards debate and opposing political views. Freedom of speech was implemented into democracy and has carried Americans through the depths of history, teaching us the importance of expressing our opinions, ideas, and beliefs for the betterment of the country. As we take a look into the past, we remember a time where Americans had no representation in the British Parliament and were silenced. Limited to the ideas and opinions of the British government, forcing Americans to pay taxes and abide by laws without an input obligating them to revolt from British rule. The whole reason our Founding Fathers fought for independence was to give Americans opportunities they were deprived of with the British. To give Americans hope that we can have a nation where we can have opinions and beliefs and not be punished, silenced, or shamed. A nation where disagreements don’t result in violence, but instead open Americans’ eyes to the power of respectful dialogue in a nation. A society where differing opinions are viewed as a must for the nation and not a threat, realizing that our democracy was built upon different ideologies of the American people. A Greek storyteller, Aesop, once told a fable by the name of the “Bundle of Sticks.” The fable explains, “A father teaches his sons the importance of unity by showing them that a single stick can be easily broken, but a bundle of sticks, bound together, is much stronger and cannot be broken.” Inspired by the themes in this fable, John Dickinson wrote “The Liberty Song” before the American Revolution. The lyrics say,  “Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all /  By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” Americans in this day and age can learn a lot from these simple song lyrics and fables. In recent months, our nation has witnessed an array of violence that leads me to believe fellow Americans are disappointing the Founding Fathers that set the groundwork for our independence. The storyteller Aesop and the songwriter John Dickinson both radiated ideas through their words to spark interest in standing together and resisting division. This nation needs to come to terms with working our way back to the rhetoric “united we stand, divided we fall.” This doesn’t mean agreeing with everything an individual has to say, it means coming to a mutual agreement, or even respectfully disagreeing. The backbone of this nation created an environment that allowed for disagreement, and a place where anyone could voice their opinions on matters with the nation. Although in today’s world there are many controversial topics that cause an array of opinions and emotions to arise, Americans don’t have to result in hatred or violence. In recent events in the nation we have seen the area of hatred and morals in this country go to another extent. As Americans we need to learn that it is okay to disagree; disagreement was the groundwork of this nation. Ultimately at the end of the day for the strength of our nation to continue, the ability to discuss topics in a respectful manner despite our differences is essential. Embracing differences in this nation should be turned into a positive attribute to this nation rather than a negative, leading us back to the narrative our Founding Fathers put in place for Americans, accepting that America was built among foundational principles that made the nation our Founding Fathers created flourish. Reflecting on the words they implemented, realizing free speech is a necessity for our nation to thrive, and if Americans can’t learn how to engage in respectful dialogue the foundation of our democracy is fracturing.