I am quite certain there will be many who need to respond to the latest column by Richard Fein, “Polarized America: We Are All Part of the Problem.” My need stems not from disagreeing with the Pew Research Center’s survey regarding polarization that Mr. Fein cites, but rather from my deep concern with his expressing the false equivalency of responsibility from the left and the right, from Democrats and a Republican Party that has fallen quite thoroughly for Trump and his supporters. Over 300 of those seeking office on Nov. 8 are adherents to Trump’s big lie that he won the election.
The writer goes on to explore five areas almost all of which reference either untrue assumptions about progressive people and/or even more questionable assumptions about those who support Trump. I’ll start where he began – what he has “seen, heard or felt” – with abortion. He posits that Democrats feel that “the fact that an opinion is based on a religious belief” makes it “less legitimate.”
In reality, believing abortion is murder and basing the belief on the infallibility of the Bible, prevents any dialogue or compromise. He goes on to mention that “evangelical churches and their adherents have been attacked for supporting Trump.” There are countless reasons to oppose Trump and those who continue to support him, especially those who believe his countless lies, must be prepared to hear how he has betrayed his country. It is way past time to be concerned that “attacking a person’s conservative understanding of their faith, if it has permitted someone to support Trump, will lead to “a fertile recruiting group for Trumpism.” For close to 80% of evangelicals that ship sailed in 2016 and remains very far out at sea …
As for Mr. Fein’s comments about the crisis at our border, both parties deserve much responsibility for the enormous disasters that continue to occur there. There were plenty of problems with both Obama’s immigration policies, but neither of them caused human rights violations, family separation and children in cages.
It is his argument about racism that is the most troubling. He seems to believe that owning one’s white privilege requires self-condemnation as well as an inability to be acknowledged for working hard. He completely misses the key element of what defines systemic racism. It is not about individuals who may or may not have learned about the true history — achievements and horrible mistakes — of their community and of our nation. It is all about recognizing that there is no even playing field for Black people, not about guilt-tripping white people, but rather about the need to first affirm the inequality and then to work to change the society so that whiteness doesn’t come with privileges other races cannot enjoy.
As for progressive people seeing the Founding documents as illegitimate, again Mr. Fein errs in his assumptions. The documents, except for Black people being counted as 3/5 of a person and the vote being limited to white, Christian, land-owning men, contain much that is estimable. It is not our view that the fact that many of the Founding Fathers owned slaves invalidates the noble qualities of the documents, but rather it is the failure of our system of government to address the resulting inadequacies, such as the Electoral College and the absurdity of giving Wyoming the same number of senatorial votes as California. That Trump could stack the Supreme Court with extreme conservatives is deeply troubling and will affect our nation for decades to come, so that is also a feature that needs amending.
Finally, I have to agree with Mr. Fein when he expresses concern about the condescension of some liberal/progressives based on such cultural tastes as “loving opera and parsing poems.” No one should ever be made to feel less than based on anything, so I would be more likely to accept his critique if it wasn’t about liberals, but about anyone who is being condescending, which I think of as all too human and a quality all of us need to work on.
In the end, Mr. Fein, in attempting to show how we can be less polarized, has instead highlighted reasons for the polarization that will not be readily addressed, let alone bridged as long as assumptions like his are not questioned. I would also highly recommend the new documentary, “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America,” which directly addresses many of his incorrect assumptions about racism.
One last note. Braver Angels (https://braverangels.org) is a singular effort to bridge the great divide Mr. Fein attempts to address. I participated in a weekend event a year ago that resulted in my forming a meaningful, mutually respectful and valuable friendship with a “red leaning” new friend. That he does not take the positions Mr. Fein highlights has enabled our friendship to flourish despite our differences.
Tom Weiner retired after 40 years at the Smith College Campus School. He is a member of the anti-racist group Bridge4Unity and of a group seeking reparations in Northampton.