The presidential election is underway. The Republican nominee will be Donald Trump. The Democratic Party has begun its candidate debates. The issues raised by the candidates may be highly emotional, like abortion, illegal immigration and what constitutes a “human right.”

The presidential candidates will conduct their campaigns with one goal: to win. To that end, they may be divisive when it is advantageous, distort the positions of their opponent and not hold to high standards of factual accuracy. As citizens, we too should have a goal: To foster a civil society where everyone is respected for who they are, not how they vote.

Let’s take a look at some aspects of the current situation. According to a Pew Research Center study in 2014, conservatives and liberals are most likely to confine political conversations to those who share their views. The study found that half of consistent conservatives and 35 percent of consistent liberals say it is important to them to live in a place where most people share their political views.

“If people living in ‘deep red’ or ‘deep blue’ America feel like they inhabit distinctly different worlds, it is in part because they seek out different types of communities, both geographic and social,” Pew wrote in its study.

Polarization may be even more personal.

A Voice of America News story in February 2017 (“In US, ‘Interpolitical’ Marriage Increasingly Frowned Upon”) summed it up this way: “As time goes by, Americans have broadened their idea of what constitutes marriage. But one area where we’ve gone the opposite direction: marrying out of the family’s political party.”

Among those who identified themselves as Democrat or Republican, 55 percent said they wanted their son or daughter to marry within the same political party. Only 45 percent said they didn’t care.

What can you and I do to mitigate our county’s descend into antagonistic tribes based on political beliefs? Here are some thoughts to consider:

■Listening politely is more constructive than scoring debating points.

■Disagree, but don’t disparage. If you criticize a person’s position, don’t demonize the person holding it. Recognize that there may be a difference in priorities and perceptions.

They may prioritize enforcing the borders and laws of the United States more than providing sanctuary to people seeking a better life, but are here illegally. They may have a different perception of when a human life begins or the reproductive rights of a women.

Also, people can look at the same set of facts and interpret them differently. Reminder: you are not likely to change someone’s mind by disparaging them.

■Be careful of your slogans and bumper stickers. For example, “My body, my choice” is fine. “Keep your rosaries off my ovaries” is needlessly confrontational and offensive to some people’s religion.

■ Distinguish between “some” and “all.” Some Republicans are narrow minded in regard to people who can’t speak English or have a different ethnic culture. Some Democrats dislike people who are old and/or white and/or male or people who are insufficiently “woke.” There are some Democrats and Republicans who look down upon those who disagree on the role of religion or secularism in public life. “Some,” not “most,” and certainly not “all.”

■Distinguish between your personal code of morality and Absolute Truth. American elections are not about angels versus devils.

■Differences may not be as great as they may seem. Some people are concerned about the current state of our health care system, but they believe that Medicare for All is not the way to improve it. Some people are concerned about climate change, but think that the Green New Deal is not the best way to fight it.

America is a nation of great diversity. Americans hold to a variety of religions or none at all. Americans have different skin colors, national origins and sexual preferences.

The best of American values tells us that those differences should not get in the way of our respect for each other. America must also be a land that respects political diversity, where disagreement over political issues doesn’t get in the way of mutual respect.

Will we be one nation whose people have different political opinions or a fragmented nation where people are alienated from each other based on politics? The answer to that question depends on each of us.

Richard Fein writes about national and international issues. He has an independent and sometimes controversial perspective. He holds master’s degrees in political science and economics. Nine of Richard’s books on employment topics have been published.