The heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk is more than an act of political terror; it is a sign so blatantly telling of the current state of politics in America. Polarization is the driving force of our country's modern political scene, forcing people into distinct groups that are unbecoming of a functioning democracy. This, no longer and now definitive, is representative of a political issue — instead, it has become increasingly clear that the ideological warfare that holds America in its grips is one of faith. The ideals that hold democracy together can only be said to be ideals when they are pragmatic and adaptable. When beliefs latch onto the mind parasitically, as we are seeing now, they become more similar to a religion. If one is not open to modifying or even abandoning one's prior stance, it cannot be said that that belief is born from democratic thinking.

We are currently seeing the accumulation of years of gradual mass polarization that started with Gingrich's Contract with America (1994), when it can be said that Americans truly began associating their partisan identities with broader social and cultural views. This marked the shift of polarization from the elite to the masses and has resulted in the division we see today. When voting is no longer about the person, but instead is simply a proxy for party lines, the only outcome is schism. Democrats become unable to fathom voting for a Republican and vice versa, creating a positive feedback loop of partisan sectarianism and dogmatic belief systems. Lilliana Mason states this well in Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity:

More often than not, citizens do not choose which party to support based on policy opinion; they alter their policy opinion according to which party they support.

Lilliana Mason - Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity

This mode of thought is not one that can be attributed to politics. It is clear that, in most cases, voters can no longer even be considered to be partaking in politics, but rather in tribalistic feuds for a sense of majoritarianism. As society continues down this path, violence and unrest can not only be expected to happen but promised. Until we bridge the divide that has been artificially forced upon us, many more will join the likes of Charlie Kirk until our politics begins to resemble the sectarian strife between the Houthis and Sunnis — where identity is the battlefield and violence the only common language.