Whatever happened to disagreement?

I remember, back when I was younger, that one of the best points about this country, one of the key selling points, was that people could disagree yet still live side by side. How amazing to live in a nation that valued empathy.

Whatever happened to that?

Somewhere along the way, we've all become high school debaters, yelling at each other for fake gold plastic trophies. Instead of understanding that any situation comes with a myriad of viewpoints and interpretations, none inherantly "righter" than the other, all our discussions become personal. People who disagree are intrinsically evil or, at the very least, irretrievably stupid and must be simply parroting some party line or other.

Discussion and exchange of viewpoint are important in the basic workings of this country. Yet they are no longer protected or, indeed, even appreciated. People have forgotten how to have disagreements without rancor or common respect. This, more than anything, concerns me in relation to the future of this country. Without empathy, the idea of men being created equal is impossible to maintain.