E pluribus unum.

Do you know what that means? Perhaps you’ve seen it before, on the front of a quarter (new or old).

This is the United States of America’s motto, and it is also a part of our great seal. It is Latin for, “Out of many, one.” So, what does that mean? Here is a basic definition of unity: “the quality or state of being made one,” also, “a totality of related parts,” and, “an entity that is a complex or systematic whole.”

The United States of America is a conglomeration of people brought together to act as one.

Everyone within the bounds of this country has the power to affect everyone else, and each one of us upholds the responsibility to treat our fellow humans with respect and civility - isn’t that the idea behind the Golden Rule?

When one person lashes out at another, it creates a ripple effect that eventually touches the lives of everyone.

After all, World War I began with the assassination of one man... who’s to say that it couldn’t happen again?

In a perfect world, there would be no need for conflict. Each person would agree with the other, and if the need for debate arose, the arguments would be handled with each party’s best interests in mind.

This is not, nor will it ever be, a perfect world. There is conflict, spurned from dissent between people, communities and countries.

Our country is currently at war or in conflict with a rather large portion of the rest of the planet. Can we afford to willingly incite hatred within our own borders?

Each person has a responsibility to keep our country intact; each citizen has his or her own duties to this nation. When we fight amongst ourselves, we are weakened as a whole. There is no possible way to completely abolish dissent - after all, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

But be it for or against, every single person in the entire world is in charge of their own attitude, and the decision to treat another person with or without respect is entirely their own.

Imagine a world where everyone greeted a problem - a war, an accident, the opinions of someone else - with a smile on their face or with a gun in their hand. Tell me, which one do you prefer?

Jennifer Fruitt is a freshman undeclared major from Newbern.