Unfortunately, both sides of the political divide are using guns as a political weapon to frighten and divide Coloradans and all Americans.

We must all ask why. Constitutional rights, after all, belong to all Americans regardless of their political affiliation. But during the last several decades, politicos who care more about votes than people discovered the fear, passion and power they could leverage in the gun debate. Colorado is currently center stage for this cultural fight.

Each side tells Coloradans the other side is bad, wrong — worse, they are evil. They shout statistics to match their prejudices. Little to no effort is made to engage the other side in a constructive, respectful dialogue to better understand the side’s perspective and sincerely held beliefs.  It seems the end game is to gain power, not to achieve good policy outcomes within the framework of the Constitution.

This isn’t about guns. The gun is just a totem. The argument could be regarding shovels. Millions of dollars are raised and spent by the far left and far right to leverage this issue for political gain. The gun is just a fitting metaphor to attack and harm people who don’t believe the same things.

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This year in Colorado we saw unacceptable social media attacks targeting legislative staffers. We saw zealots calling others “child killers” for articulating opposing views. We have seen the worst of us.

It is time to stop. The far left and far right are more like one another than they are like mainstream Coloradans. People who have been affected by violence, including gun violence, deserve sympathy, compassion and an effort to understand their motivations and fears. Publicly assaulting these victims is pathetic, juvenile and small-minded. It is wrong.

Similarly, to look down on the motive or intelligence of Colorado citizens who would choose to exercise the right to keep and bear arms safely and legally demonstrates great hubris. If you are unable to detail the nuances of the argument accurately, if you have not walked in those shoes, you are the ignorant party. It is wrong.

We don’t have to think like each other. But we do have to live with each other. We must seek the middle.

It is time for Colorado to stop surrendering the public discourse to the fringes. People unable to control their tongue or their social media feeds have no place in the driver’s seat of Colorado politics. Those who hijack government for personal celebrity are unfit stewards of public trust. We can and must do better.

Nephi Cole is the director of government relations and state affairs for the NSSF, The Firearm Trade Industry Trade Association.