It seems like everywhere surveys and polling data show we are a more polarized nation than ever.

Either you are completely for the war in Iraq or completely against it. You love President George W. Bush or you hate him. You are a liberal Democrat or a conservative Republican.

It feels like we are trying to be divided into a nation of people who only see a black or white solution to any problem. There are only two ways to fix it. However, for many problems there are more solutions than just two.

Take Iraq for instance. President Bush seems staunch on keeping the troops there until he feels that they have accomplished their jobs. Many Republicans back that position, but most Democrats want a complete and immediate military withdrawal from Iraq.

Here is where the problem lies in our country: There are only two main solutions – either stay there indefinitely or withdraw now. The lines have been drawn on this issue, and it appears that no one is willing to budge on their issues.

Neither of those two answers seems to be the best for both parties, but there are still more solutions than those two. Those solutions arise when both sides of the aisle start compromising.

Without compromise, our country would not have been formed at all. As our forefathers were writing the Constitution, they also had two sides on a particular issue. The large states wanted to make sure that they had equal representation based on the population, while the smaller states wanted each individual state to have equal representation in Congress. Ultimately, a compromise was reached, and we now have the two houses in Congress that we have today. The House of Representatives was formed to look after the needs of larger states while the Senate was formed to appease the needs of smaller states.

That example should show us that both sides of an issue must be willing to give a little bit when you make law.

Our country and government must be willing to compromise if we are ever going to get anything accomplished.