Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by the Collegian or its editorial board. Guest columns are the view of a campus community member who periodically contributes columns. This column comes from the CSU branch of Turning Point USA.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” These powerful words are as important today as they were in 1776. Today, Americans from every walk of life—from different gender identities, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, languages, ages, political affiliations, and more—enjoy the freedom to express their values and beliefs with their community, thanks to the unique framework provided by our nation’s Founding Fathers.

Unfortunately, despite our collective freedom to express our unique values, it is all too common in today’s America to jump to an immediate conclusion that those who disagree with you politically are inherently your enemy. We see this phenomenon play out all too often on our campus in our student media outlets, on social media, and even in face-to-face interactions in classrooms or on the LSC Plaza. Students from across our community may feel isolated, ostracized and even targeted by one another namely as a result of political differences—and we must remind ourselves of our what unites us, not divides us. It’s time for a turning point at Colorado State University.

This Thursday, our organization, along with many others, will be engaging in “CSUnite: No Place 4 h8″—a gathering and walk organized by the CSU administration and multiple CSU campus entities. The event is to express solidarity with all Rams in response to acts of hate and bias that have occurred on campus this year, and to acknowledge the deep impact these actions have caused to all members of our CSU community. In the words of President Tony Frank, “In participating in this walk and gathering together, we reach across whatever divides us and accept our responsibility to uphold one another, to be alongside those who have been personally harmed or targeted by acts of hate and bias … what affects one of us, affects all of us.”

Truly, despite the things that appear to divide us, the CSU community is a family bound together by our commonality—by our green and gold, by our beloved CAM the Ram, by the stunning Colorado landscape that surrounds our campus. We love hammocking by the Lagoon on Friday afternoons, riding our bikes to Old Town, and doing polar plunges into Horsetooth Reservoir. We join together in the words of our fight song as we march on through the adversity that affects us all—stalwart as one community joined together in the face of hate.

In the coming days, weeks, months, and even years, we challenge the members of our community currently content to label those different from themselves with hate to instead embrace a culture of love for all CSU Rams. Engage in intentional time aimed at understanding and accepting the individuals who hold different belief systems than yourself. You may be surprised at the things you hold in common.

Join us this Thursday at 3 p.m. at Newton’s Corner, the sculpture at the intersection of Pitkin and Centre, just south of the Behavioral Sciences Building, in support of all Rams from all walks of life. Truly, what affects one of us, affects all of us. We are all proud to be CSU Rams, and together, we can bridge any divide between us and bring about a turning point toward unity.

The Collegian’s opinion desk can be reached at letters@collegian.com. To submit a letter to the editor, please follow the guidelines at collegian.com.