Democrats and Republicans, listen up!

July 18 marked the 94th birthday of former South African president Nelson Mandela. It was also Nelson Mandela International Day, honoring the civil rights leader who garnered worldwide acclaim for his invaluable contributions to human rights.

As photos of his infectious smile flashed across the Internet and we were reminded of his legacy, a statement from one of his speeches stayed with me. A man who was imprisoned for 27 years for challenging the overtly racist apartheid government in his country came out of prison saying that “to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

Unlike most political speeches, this one doesn’t disappear into a billowing cloud of rhetoric. In fact, pretty much everything Mandela says holds indisputable weight—his life is a consistent reflection of his words. As the first black president of South Africa, he made a decision that was revolutionary in his time. He served only one term and then, despite national and international calls for him to remain, stepped down to open the way for younger leaders. On a continent where many a dictator held on to power for decades, this was a model few had ever seen.

What has perhaps been the indelible mark of his leadership, however, was his unwavering desire to work with the apartheid regime that had for so long been the instrument of his own and his people’s oppression. Where few would have questioned a violent reprisal against the system, he said, “You have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”

This got me thinking about the current political climate in our own country and how utterly polarized our Democrat and Republican parties are—now more than ever. I wish our politicians would pause, sit down and take counsel from Mandela’s actions. He had no reason to work with the South African government and yet, amidst assassinations and tense national unrest, he was committed to unifying his country—his whole country, not just one party.

What makes it so difficult for our representatives to do the same? Unity in the U.S. seems to be the last thing on their minds. It’s about toeing the party line and winning elections: full stop. At a time when we desperately need to see lasting systemic change, our headlines consist of lowbrow name-calling and cries for more tax returns and long-form birth certificates. In short: a complete waste of everyone’s time.

Nothing seems to warrant a show of bipartisanship these days. Not the economy, not healthcare—no matter the issue, we have now come to expect two diametrically opposed positions from our ruling parties. It’s become a thing of pride to remain staunchly immoveable in every political position. The word “compromise” indicates weakness or failure, not common sense or even brilliant diplomacy.

Mandela chose to partner with people committed to a racist system of inequality. We don’t have that problem. Our two parties have extremely different ideologies and principles, but thankfully we live in a time when they don’t face prison for seeking the just treatment of every citizen. They don’t have an excuse.

Bipartisanship cannot be a nice surprise every now and then. Nothing will get done. It’s time for the men and women in Washington, D.C. to check their egos and agendas at the door and choose to work “in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of” our nation.