Love him or hate him, this past week’s assassination attempt on Donald Trump was horrific. Not only because Trump could have been killed, but because this incident is reflective of where we are in this country.

There is so much condemnation going on, on both sides of the aisle, I sometimes wonder how it compares to the animosity that divided our country more than 150 years ago. We live in a city that experienced first-hand the horrors of the War Between the States, but perhaps those who don’t live amongst its history have forgotten what it was like when we took up arms against one another.

Innocent people were affected, and innocent people died. Corey Comperatore was killed during the assassination attempt on Trump. Jews have been attacked and intimidated, people of color have been mowed down in mass by racists individuals, as have those with lifestyles not reflective of the perpetrator.

Our country has gone mad, and helping fuel this insanity is the media. The power of the pen and now the airwaves and social media have descended on our country like locusts. Spewing out whatever will garner a reaction from the public all in the name of ratings or the number of “clicks” through social media.

I know. I have been there. Who doesn’t want to write a story that garners a lot of viewers? I just pray I never get to the point of writing something that would hurt others or turn people against one another.

But in today’s society so many have lost their civility. I was actually appalled when I heard Whoopi Goldberg state that she would rather vote on a presidential candidate that “pooped in his pants” than Trump.

Again, regardless of what side of the aisle you are on, this was a disgusting statement aimed at Trump, and in my opinion, also demeaning of Biden.

But this is what our country has come to — seeing who can say the most repugnant things about whichever candidate they don’t like.

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for it to stop. Because the reality is, collectively, we will never all see eye-to-eye, and we all need to come to terms with that.

Our forefathers didn’t always see things the same way. They were human and just as flawed as we are, but they didn’t’ let their differences keep them from forging a “more perfect union.”

It’s called compromise. Mirriam-Webster defines compromise as a settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions. The second reference states it is something intermediate between or blending qualities of two different things.

Qualities of two different things — that to me sounds like there can be good derived from both sides.

But I am afraid with the candidates we have running, and no matter which is elected to the highest office in the nation, for four more years nothing will change. And our country will be doomed to continue with the discourse.

Unless, by some chance, another miracle were to occur and the opposing political parties and pundits choose to bury the hatchet and focus on a way to work together for the GOOD of the country.

We can only pray.

Terri Cowart Frazier writes features for The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.