A long time ago, in a colony far, far away, our forefathers drafted America’s political system under the principle of granting every U.S. adult citizen an equal voice in the electoral process.

But, while our political opinions as American voters are many and diverse, ranging from liberal to conservative and everywhere in between, we are typically presented only two options in an election campaign: Democrat or Republican.

This forced polarity has left the United States a country at war — not just with Iraq, or North Korea, or whatever the flavor-of-the-month villainous region may be.

No, good sirs and madams, we are a nation at war with ourselves.

As college students, at a time when our minds restlessly shift in our skulls as we discover the realms of independence and higher academia, there exists a palpable pressure to not only become politically involved, but to conform and polarize to a particular partisan affiliation.

Student political organizations, such as ASU College Republicans and Young Democrats, stand eagerly by to welcome new members into their flock.

While these clubs provide the opportunity for involvement in the political process, they also re-entrench the labels of “Rep vs. Dem” and fixate on their set agendas, rather than encouraging students to work to create a better nation through compromise and careful consideration of both sides of each issue.

“I’ve sworn off politics recently,” said ASU junior Jared Neufer.

“This is probably part of the reason I did. I am so sick of people not just being reasonable, and even when there is an organization that is meant to facilitate substantive debate it usually devolves into a partisan s**t-slinging festival,” he said.

Jared’s angst-turned-apathy is understandable, considering the university’s distinct lack of nonpartisan political campus organizations.

However, perhaps this void in moderate representation speaks less about the groups and more about the people that join them in the first place.

“I’d say there’s a couple people you’ll see over and over again in student politics,” said ASU sophomore Hannah Thoreson.

“There are the type-A personalities out to just get ahead for themselves, there’s the political cheerleaders who eagerly show up to every event to enthusiastically have their viewpoints be completely confirmed, and then there’s the people who are just fascinated by how the political process works,” she said.

In the end of the day it is perhaps best not to blame the players but the game itself for the lack of moderate voice in modern politics.

For without the presence of openly centrist election candidates, there exists no motive for students to remain nonpartisan if they wish to be politically active.

We live in an age where information is everywhere, but (as both Fox News and “The Daily Show” regularly demonstrate) rarely without the presence of political bias.

It is instead up to the individual to carefully strain fact from propaganda through a skeptical lens before aligning himself or herself with a party that best represents his or her political agenda.

Maybe one utopian day there will exist a third political party, which strives to operate in favor of logical and efficient compromise across the political spectrum, rather than under a convoluted fixation on ideology and mudslinging.

Maybe this day will be seen within our lifetimes.

Maybe this day will never come.

Until then children, pick your poison wisely.

Hal is biased toward being unbiased. Send him your thoughts at hscohen@asu.edu