In last week’s column I wrote about Andersonville, the horrific Confederate prison used to house Union prisoners during the Civil War. Some commentators have suggested that the nation is almost as polarized today as it was back in the days leading up to the Civil War. At the very least, we must try to find some common ground so we can move forward in a more unified way.

Here are some things the majority of Americans might agree on:

Impose term limits. Polls suggest that about 80% of Americans believe that members of Congress should have term limits. I strongly agree. As it is, senators and representatives get comfortable in their positions, so their primary goal is to stay in office, not to serve their constituents. Let’s put a stop to that. Remember when Sen. Susan Collins first ran, she promised to stay for only two terms. She’s now on her fourth. And Sen. Angus King is now running for his third term at age 80.

Impose age limits on members of the Supreme Court. What other job in the United States — in government or anywhere else — guarantees a person a lifetime paid position with generous benefits? What other position in the legal system is not bound by any legal constraints at all? The Supreme Court absolutely make its members accountable for unethical behavior.

The majority of Americans want to ban assault rifles and require criminal background checks for anyone who wants to purchase a gun. So let’s do it. (NOTE: I wrote this piece before a 14-year-old with an assault rifle killed four and injured 10 at a high school in Georgia.)

Abolish the electoral college system. Hillary Clinton had 3 million more votes than Donald Trump, but she lost the election because of the anachronistic electoral college system. Biden had 6 million votes more than Trump, yet the election wasn’t considered a blowout due to the electoral college. It’s absurd that presidential candidates spend the vast majority of their time and dollars in the “swing states.” Moreover, because of the electoral college, voters in rural white states are way overrepresented in the Senate.

A recent poll suggested that 70% of Americans believe that a president shouldn’t be immune from crimes committed while in office. For reasons beyond my understanding, the current Supreme Court seems fine with exempting the President from being prosecuted for crimes committed while in office. I have no solutions to depoliticizing the Supreme Court. I welcome the suggestions of readers.

Let’s try to find incentives for politicians from both parties to work together. How about an annual “Profiles in Consensus Award” for the top five members of Congress who voted along party lines the lowest percentage of times in the previous year?

Make it mandatory for every president to have at least one member from the opposing party serve in their cabinet.

Make it mandatory for every person running for office at the federal or state level to sign a statement that reads “I agree that America is not a ‘Christian nation.’ I assert that America welcomes and protects the rights of every citizen whatever their religious beliefs.”

Encourage towns and cities around the country to sponsor a “Let’s Unify” day in which interested citizens can get together and determine things that the vast majority of those present agree upon. Then publish a booklet which highlights the results nationwide.

America’s diversity remains a strength in my opinion. We’ll never agree on everything, but we must agree upon certain principles if we are ever to work together in good faith to move toward a more perfect union.

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns at dtreadw575@aol.com.