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It’s become scary, hurtful, and downright dangerous the way things have become so divisive and hateful these days. Seems to be coming from all over the place, and with social media, it spreads like wildfire. Why has this happened? And what can we do about it?
Once upon a time, politicians with opposing views could have respectful discussions and even be friends. Ted Kennedy for example, who was a very liberal Democrat, could have friendly lunches with Republicans who held very opposing views. They were also able to find compromises and get things done, which whether people want to admit it or not, is important. But now, things are completely different. Outrageous rhetoric and hate seems to be permeating society from all over the place creating a toxic, poisonous environment to the point that many Republicans and Democrats see each other as malicious enemies.
How did this happen? I’d say numerous factors have come into play creating this situation, but here are a few that I’d like to mention. For one, for some decades, far right social conservatives have been flexing and increasing their political power within the Republican Party, often trying to push ultra conservative ideas that are frequently tied in to their religious beliefs. Many have gotten to the point that they are willingly ignoring the vital democratic principle of separation of religion and government. Since they see LGBTQ people and female reproductive rights has sinful and wrong, they want to legislate their beliefs upon everyone else, even when the majority of society disagrees with them. We’ve seen how they’ve been at war trying to ban abortion, despite the fact that most Americans are in favor of a woman’s right to choose. They’ve also tried to limit and take rights away from the LGBTQ community. While they may not want to admit (on what I’m getting ready to say) openly or even to themselves, their actions show that they don’t believe LGBTQ people deserve the same equal rights as they have. Want some examples? Here you go. To this day, many still oppose same gender marriage. They are also viciously attacking Transgender rights as well as those of LGBTQ youth in general, particularly in schools. Social conservatives are doing this despite the fact that their attacks worsen the quality of life of LGBTQ people, especially youth, and actually increase suicide rates.
Numerous views between Republicans and Democrats had been moving farther apart for some time. Then, Donald Trump showed up on the political scene. Trump’s actions reveal a person who appears narcissistic, power hungry, egotistical, vain and who seems to thrive on wanting to be in total control, creating chaos, and demanding to be followed without question. He ratcheted up outrageous rhetoric to a whole new level, making entire communities look like enemies and saying things that seem to encourage violence. Since many of his followers have become blindly devoted to him no matter what he does or says, other Republicans have tried to emulate him hoping to increase their own popularity. In addition to this, many Republicans in elected positions have also been afraid of angering Trump, fearing that doing so would end their political careers. Another consequence of the increase in outrageous, hateful rhetoric is the emboldening of far right extremists to become much more open about their own prejudices and hate. This situation has increased the likelihood that such individuals would become violent. And while the Republican Party has been especially bad about spreading outrageous, hateful rhetoric, they’re not the only ones. Like it or not, some on the far left have responded by increasing their own outrageous rhetoric as well. This toxic soup has worsened divisions and increased the likelihood of violence.
So what can we do about it? Unfortunately, there are no easy, quick solutions. But I do think that it’s becoming increasingly important for more of us to speak out against particularly outrageous rhetoric, wherever it’s coming from. People need to think before they post on social media. They should try to be honest and truthful with the facts while striving to avoid spreading things which are grossly exaggerated or outright false. People need to verify information using independent, reliable sources and not just automatically believe what they want to believe. And more people need to recognize the fact that violence is not the answer and that sharing posts which encourage violence (or make violence look acceptable), in addition to just being wrong, also hurts their cause because it turns off the very people whose support they need to make any kind of long-term change.
So everyone, whatever your political beliefs, think before you post and spread outrageous rhetoric. People need to open their minds as well as tone down the toxicity. Let’s try to make this a better world for everyone.
Views and Observations 