The 2016 presidential election seemed to be the peak of the political divide facing the American people.

The level of violence that has risen from this divide wreaked havoc across the nation.

Both sides of the political spectrum are to blame.

From the right, we witnessed the horror in Charlottesville, Virginia where a white supremacist rammed his car into a group of protesters, killing one.

From the left, the nation was stunned after the assassination attempt on a group of Republican congressmen by an anti-Trump fanatic.

While these two examples highlight the deep divide in the U.S., there are many lower profile events that show how deep it runs.

Ben Shapiro, founder of The Daily Wire, spoke at the University of California at Berkeley Sept. 14.

In anticipation of the backlash the school has seen in response to conservative speakers, the university erected concrete barriers surrounding the venue.

Across the nation, so-called “antifascists” resort to violence at otherwise peaceful protests to shut down those whom they ironically call fascists.

Mask-wearing Antifa members attacked peaceful rightwing demonstrators Aug. 28, according to the Washington Post.

The level of polarization facing America today is deeply troubling. People on both sides of the political spectrum seem to be moving further away from each other, leaving a shrinking group of those in the middle.

Nothing constructive can come about when people engage in violence and refuse to listen to each other.

To bridge this widening gap between the left and the right, people need to be willing to listen to each other and find common ground.

President Donald Trump is demonstrating this right now by working with congressional Democrats and Republicans to come up with a plan to provide safeguards for DACA recipients tied with increased border security.

In response to viewpoints you may disagree with, use your speech to reach out to the other side and try to convince them.

While it is not always possible to find a common ground with certain groups like white supremacists, unprovoked violence is never the answer.