Even as we observe Independence Day and the 150th anniversary of the Civil War battle of Gettysburg, it seems our nation has found itself in a quiet new civil war with our politics, in which we agree on virtually nothing.

Gay marriage, abortion rights, gun rights. Debt and deficits. It seems our body politic will never decide anything unanimously again. Not even a simple majority can rule Congress. It now takes 60 votes to pass legislation, thanks to injudicious use of the filibuster.

Only five of 50 states have split their presidential vote evenly over the last four presidential elections — 22 states voted Republican each time; 18 voted Democrat all four times. Eighty percent of our nation is firmly in one camp or the other.

Maine, as we know, is exceptionally “purple,” with its Democratic members of the U.S. House; an independent and a moderate Republican in the U.S. Senate; and a conservative governor who happens to preside over a state with legal marijuana, casino gambling and gay marriage.

Let’s export our independent example to the rest of the nation and live up to “Dirigo,” the state’s motto, which means “I lead.”

Let’s tell the nation it’s OK for stable couples who love each other to marry, no matter their gender.

Let’s agree that people who own guns are not necessarily criminals, and to restrict access only to those likely to use weapons in an offensive manner to harm people.

Let’s agree that when someone says “right to work,” it’s not a class war between management and organized labor but an issue of expanding economic opportunity for everyone. Don’t fight about how to carve up and serve the American pie. Make more pie.

Let’s stop demonizing immigrants, whose arrival on these shores heralded the nation we’re celebrating this weekend.

By its example, Maine can help the United States restore the ideals of freedom that gave birth to our nation 237 years ago.

As President Obama said in his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, “the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue states.”

“But I’ve got news for them. We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don’t like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states. We coach Little League in the blue states and have gay friends in the red states. … We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the Stars and Stripes.”

This weekend, let’s reaffirm those ideals that unify our diverse nation of gay, straight, white, black, Democrat, Republican, rich and poor. One people, one land, one nation, under God, with liberty and justice.

For all.