Dividing the United

I was reading some replies on a forum about the negotiations between Obama and McCain concerning the presidential debates coming this fall. To get some of you up to speed, McCain's camp has proposed the smaller "town hall" type venues for the candidate's debates, whereas, Obama wants the larger, more typical debate structure.
What caught my eye, though, were the many replies within the thread that sounded so childish. They resembled the arguments and anger displayed on the schoolyard when we were young. One person, attempting to discredit the beliefs of another, mentioned that their opinion meant nothing because they were from a certain state. This, to me, is about as logical as discriminating against people with the letter "E" in their name. Similarly, other comments on the same thread were so busy putting labels, such as liberal and conservative, on one another that the valid points made by both about the topic were dismissed without thought or discussion.
Then, I began to think about how much we condemn politicians for behaving the same way. Much has been said recently about American's dislike for political mudslinging and attacks on opponents that do not concern the issues [e.g. a candidate's name, age, marijuana use as a youth, etc.]. Yet, we, the people, debate the issues and partake in the spreading of misinformation in the same manner as politicians. Usually, nothing is talked about in a way that is helpful to finding solutions for the problems that we all share.
Whether potential solutions come by way of conservatives, liberals, independents, or equally important others, who cares? It is past due that we begin to erase the bias that keeps us divided. It is obvious that an open mind is needed, yet, less obvious is the fact that issues, such as health care, must be approached in a way that benefits ALL members of our society, not just the groups lobbying our leaders for ways to make more money or increase their power.
In the end, trust and respect for one another is the glue that keeps us united. Trusting each other, regardless of political affiliation or philosophy, will only come when the supposed solutions to our problems do not entail favoring one group over another. It allows us to say "okay, let's try it your way," though, we might question the outcome. Respect for one another, on the other hand, keeps communication open and concentrates our energy on finding ways to benefit everyone. All that respect entails is to listen and validate each other's concern for the topic, though, we believe differently.
It is time to grow up. The schoolyard mentality is seldom productive in solving arguments and frequently contributes to the hatred and violence within our culture. Once we get past this way of approaching things, it is possible that our society might become far greater than we ever imagined it could.