Miriam Feday, senior, Whitehall-Coplay High School, Lehigh County
Extremism and violence undermine everything this country stands for, and we cannot let them take control.
Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed the damage division can cause. We’ve seen communities torn apart by senseless violence, families torn apart by ideological divides, and hardworking Americans left behind by systems designed to uplift everyone.
These are not isolated incidents; they are a reflection of our shared values growing further and further apart. As a nation, we have the power to choose a different path, one where unity is prioritized, and our freedoms are protected. Throughout history, our democracy has thrived most when we stood together and not when we allowed the loudest voice in the crowd to drown everyone else out.
From the Civil War to this Gilded Age, extremism has cost us. Today we have the choice to either allow hatred and fear to dictate our future, or to build a nation that reflects the best of who we truly are. This path forward will not be easy, but it is necessary. Unity does not require uniformity, it demands compromise. It calls us to listen to who we disagree with and to find common ground when it feels impossible.
We must reject the voices that build division and amplify those who believe in something greater than themselves.
