As tensions continue to rise with the approaching presidential election, student members of the Texas Aggie Democrats and the Texas A&M College Republicans were asked to comment on election unity in Texas and around the nation.

Aggie Democrats president and nuclear engineering senior Kevin Pierce said the divide began years ago during Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

“Not necessarily because he was a Republican or Democrat, but he was one of the first people to use this demonizing and kind of splitting the parties,” Pierce said. “In response, I think Democrats kind of did the same thing.”

History and political science senior Tyner Harris, a member of the A&M College Republicans, said both Democrats and Republicans have allowed the “more fringe racial elements” of their respective parties to become too strong.

“This leads to higher partisan passions, but also more nasty and divided elections,” Harris said. “It is the American public that has been divided as a consequence of our more heated and hotly passionate politics.”

Through increased numbers of controversial events, such as on-campus pro-Palestine protests and an attempted assassination at a political rally, the current division in the United States is not ideal. Aggies from both sides of the political spectrum said that, ultimately, the solution to political violence lies in the civility of the people.

Member of Aggie Democrats and political science junior Ben Charley said creating a safe environment was vital to civility.

“Being able to engage civilly,” Charley said. “It’s a really big part of how we interact with each other nowadays, and I would like to say that it is a very important part of how we engage with each other.”

A term brought up by political science graduate Jake Turner, A&M College Republican president, was “shared ethos” — the belief that the opposition is ultimately trying to do good, a system that could positively influence the respect between political parties.

When naming what aspects they respected about the opposing party, biomedical sciences freshman Matthew Castillo, an Aggie Democrat member, said he supported increasing border security. Castillo stated that because he is from the Valley, he takes a special interest in the topic of border security.

“I think something that has been good,” Castillo said, “is the idea of more security at the border, especially with those illegal border crossings.”

Charley added on to his peer by concurring in respect for security priorities within the Right-Wing Party.

“I think one thing I can respect about the Republican Party is that they have a good amount of their representatives in Congress and Senate dedicated to veterans affairs and concerns with national security,” Charley said.

Charley said that the importance of being experienced in national security issues and veterans affairs is built upon the fact that society has increasing conflicts, both foreign and domestic. Because of this spike of violence and tension, Charley said that the importance of lawmakers who are concerned with security is perhaps more vital now than ever. When referring to the Republican Party, he stated that the officials have done a good job at maintaining security and protection.

“It’s a good thing that we have lawmakers that are very concerned and are trying to maintain our status quo as being the top dog,” Charley said.

From across the political divide, Harris was eager to respond with qualities he deemed respectable in regards to the Democratic Party. On a more personal level, he chose to dive into what he admires about individuals within the system.

“[Democrats] want to make America better,” Harris said. “But, the question is what problems to prioritize and how to fix it…we’ve become so split and full of passionate malice that we only falsely see each other as radicals that want to tear apart the Constitution.”

Through this statement, Harris backs the proposition that political parties are, at the moment, in a state of such division that they are negating the very document on which this country was built. However, Harris sheds a positive beam of light in terms of mutual respect.

“I love talking to Democrats that maintain the civility previously discussed,” Harris said. “I always find it so fascinating to discuss common points then connecting it back to our differences and maybe find a better solution by putting our different ideas and perspectives into it.”

According to Harris, rebuilding and addressing civility within politics is vital in achieving future peace between the parties. Upon review, it can be noted that the common glue for the interaction of members from different political groups, on campus and off, is the deliverance of civility.

“In a system where the government is supposed to rule with the consent of the governed — if they are divided, then how can we expect to elect leaders that represent everyone?” Harris said.