02-21-2017, 12:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-21-2017, 12:26 PM by TeacherinExile.)
Some anecdotal evidence of incipient civil war, non-violent so far, thankfully. I live in "Everybody's Hometown" in Arizona, too big to be called a small town, but not so big that a similar incivility as that experienced in Springfield would go unnoticed here. A not-insignificant Tea Party crowd did stage a protest on our public square when that movement began, followed by a much weaker protest a year or so later in sympathy with Occupy Wall Street. No real clashes, though.
"A Town Changed by Trump"
Springfield, Ohio, prided itself on its moderation. Now, residents are struggling with an unfamiliar question: How to heal a bruised sense of civility.
A few passages of note from this Christian Science Monitor article:
There are times these days when Mary Jo Groves feels like she no longer understands her city and the world around it.
The hospital physician knows Springfield as a place that has prided itself on its moderate, practical outlook. Until recently, many folks around here couldn’t recall having seen a protest in town. Disagreements happened, of course, but they were usually handled civilly – both sides at least knew where the other was coming from.
But since the election of President Trump, things have felt different...
...“The sad thing is we can’t have civil discourse and we can’t have a discussion about the issues,” said Ms. Baldridge. “That would be my goal – to get back to the idea that you can have your opinion but it doesn’t make you a bad person.”
On that, both sides can agree. The divide within Springfield mirrors the tensions within the nation as a whole. Before the election, the Monitor visited Springfield because no other American city saw more of its middle class slip down the economic ladder from 2000 to 2014, according to the Pew Research Center. Springfield symbolizes the challenges of the nation...
...But the partisan animosity in aftermath of the election is largely new to Springfield. Some say it was simply lurking beneath the surface before. But now that it is out in the open, residents long for the normalcy and civility of years past – but are at a loss for how to bring it about.
“Most Americans … most people in this town agree on 80, 85 percent of everything,” says Kevin Loftis, who opened a new brewery downtown in July and who called both choices in November’s election “soul crushing.”
“I’m tired of the left and the right. You’d think we’re headed to a civil war. I don’t know how you bring it back. I don’t know what the unifying cause is that brings us back to earth. It’s almost like you’re standing toe to toe with your fists out. What’s it going to take to drop your fists and talk?”
Link to the full article: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/20...d-by-Trump
Actually, I should add that a Women's March in Prescott did take place the day after Trump's inauguration, a sizeable crowd for our small town (pop. 39,843):
"1,200 encircle courthouse in Prescott Women's March" (VIDEO & GALLERY)
http://www.dcourier.com/news/2017/jan/22/womenss-march/
"A Town Changed by Trump"
Springfield, Ohio, prided itself on its moderation. Now, residents are struggling with an unfamiliar question: How to heal a bruised sense of civility.
A few passages of note from this Christian Science Monitor article:
There are times these days when Mary Jo Groves feels like she no longer understands her city and the world around it.
The hospital physician knows Springfield as a place that has prided itself on its moderate, practical outlook. Until recently, many folks around here couldn’t recall having seen a protest in town. Disagreements happened, of course, but they were usually handled civilly – both sides at least knew where the other was coming from.
But since the election of President Trump, things have felt different...
...“The sad thing is we can’t have civil discourse and we can’t have a discussion about the issues,” said Ms. Baldridge. “That would be my goal – to get back to the idea that you can have your opinion but it doesn’t make you a bad person.”
On that, both sides can agree. The divide within Springfield mirrors the tensions within the nation as a whole. Before the election, the Monitor visited Springfield because no other American city saw more of its middle class slip down the economic ladder from 2000 to 2014, according to the Pew Research Center. Springfield symbolizes the challenges of the nation...
...But the partisan animosity in aftermath of the election is largely new to Springfield. Some say it was simply lurking beneath the surface before. But now that it is out in the open, residents long for the normalcy and civility of years past – but are at a loss for how to bring it about.
“Most Americans … most people in this town agree on 80, 85 percent of everything,” says Kevin Loftis, who opened a new brewery downtown in July and who called both choices in November’s election “soul crushing.”
“I’m tired of the left and the right. You’d think we’re headed to a civil war. I don’t know how you bring it back. I don’t know what the unifying cause is that brings us back to earth. It’s almost like you’re standing toe to toe with your fists out. What’s it going to take to drop your fists and talk?”
Link to the full article: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/20...d-by-Trump
Actually, I should add that a Women's March in Prescott did take place the day after Trump's inauguration, a sizeable crowd for our small town (pop. 39,843):
"1,200 encircle courthouse in Prescott Women's March" (VIDEO & GALLERY)
http://www.dcourier.com/news/2017/jan/22/womenss-march/