6 New Year’s Resolutions for All of Us in the Age of Trump
“We can’t agree on anything.” “America has become two countries.” “We’re more divided than ever before.”
This narrative has fueled conversations between Americans of every stripe from houses of faith to factory floors, hospital waiting rooms to Walmart parking lots, police stations to college dorms, and just about any place two people can come together. And it’s not entirely wrong.
There is no escaping how much the Trump era, regardless of political affinity, has been defined by nastiness: slurring one’s “enemies,” mocking those who don’t agree with you, and repeating the most damning stories to make a point. Where has all this invective left us? It certainly hasn’t moved the needle in three years: not a lot of people have swapped pussy hats for MAGA caps or vice versa. Passionate disagreement may be key to our democracy, but so far the constant snarling and sneering hasn’t changed as many hearts as it has weighed down.
When I think about how to get through the upcoming election, which will define 2020, I want to aim higher than I sometimes have these last few years. This doesn’t mean pretending all things seem equal to me or letting anyone off the hook when they perpetuate harm. It means aspiring to true thoughtfulness in what I claim, in how I live, and how I engage with others.
