Every day, the media cover stories about how the United States continues to deteriorate. From rising war costs to economic recessions to eco-meltdowns, it seems as if the glory days of the United States have long passed.

But there is one issue plaguing our country that receives little to no press coverage, an issue that negatively distinguishes us from the golden years: There is a lack of unity between Americans.

We have become so anxious to overly define ourselves by our race, religion or political affiliation that we lose sight of the aspects that unite us. We categorize ourselves as fill-in-the-blank–Americans, by political affiliation, or by faith. rather than simply as “Americans.”

People like Al Sharpton, Rush Limbaugh and James Carville have promoted such disparities between us, so much so that we have virtually segregated ourselves. Pointless stories like the LaBron James Vogue cover further invoke unnecessary and unwanted controversy upon a public that has already lost the ability to set aside petty differences and join together as a unified community.

Admittedly, the “melting-pot” nature of the United States has creates a hodgepodge demographic, so the natural collaboration of people does not come as easily to us as it does to nations such as Japan or Germany. But as a nation of immigrants, it’s our collective talent and diversity that makes us great, and the greatest times in our nation’s history have come when we banded together and worked toward a common goal.

Just look at what we were able to accomplish during World War II. While brave soldiers were fighting overseas, women and children of all ages and backgrounds joined together in a collective effort to raise scrap metal for the war efforts. Minor demographic differences didn’t matter. The fact that they were all Americans gave everyone the incentive to do their part and ultimately, we were able to rid the world of a great evil.

Imagine the good that could be done today if such harmonious efforts were made. If we learned the subtle differences that separate us are insignificant recycling would increase tenfold, development of alternative fuel would rid ourselves of the strangle-hold dependence on foreign oil, and crime rates would plummet.

Certainly some sense of difference is a positive. Rivalries, such as the one that divides Washington state in half, and basic competition are what drive our capitalistic economy. But there are some tasks that are simply too large and too important and require a cooperative effort.

Increasing polarization has divided the highest levels of our government, and has since trickled down and permeated even the smallest of communities. Unfortunately, this has festered into a distinct bitterness that continues to drive us apart, despite the obvious challenges that face our nation, such as health care, climate change and a rapidly depleting Social Security fund.

It’s time that we become the generation of greatness that we know we can be, and implement the change that we speak of so fondly. But the first step in leading the age of the future is to take a page out of the golden past by setting aside our petty differences and banding together as one, united nation.

[Reach columnist Jeff Dickson at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]