The attempted assassination of Donald Trump is a stark piece of evidence that we are destroying ourselves from the inside out. The shooting follows the disaster of Jan. 6, a gunman outside the house of a Supreme Court justice, polls showing historic levels of polarization, and massive levels of distrust in government, business, academia and religion.
As I watch our trust in institutions and each other dwindling, what comes to mind is this exchange in the movie adaptation of the play “A Man for All Seasons,” about the life of Sir Thomas More:
Sir Thomas More: “And go he should if he were the Devil himself until he broke the law.”
William Roper: “So, now you’d give the Devil benefit of law!”
Sir Thomas More: “Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?”
William Roper: “Yes, I’d cut down every law in England to do that!”
Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned ‘round on you, where would you hide … the laws all being flat? … And if you cut them down ... do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I’d give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety’s sake!”
I cannot help but think that we are all at least a little bit guilty of cutting down our most foundational institutions: free and fair elections, the rule of law, separation of powers and an independent judiciary, religious institutions, news organizations, and the educational system. The guilt is everywhere, spread among many politicians, academics, media personalities, journalists, publishers, and all of us who listen to them.
Just think of the past few years alone. Both the far left and right made us doubt the legitimacy of our elections, first by accusing Donald Trump of collusion with Russia, then by claiming Joe Biden rigged the election. Law professors and media personalities attack the Supreme Court endlessly, focusing not on academic criticism of the theory and logic of the opinions but challenging the character of the justices and the legitimacy of their practices. The sheer volume of sarcastic tweets from academics on that subject alone is disheartening.
To make matters worse, some judges have responded in kind, rather than rising above the fray. Some Americans have convinced themselves that parts of the government are controlled by a Satan-worshipping cabal. The news media too often refuses to report on the good done by religious institutions. Others assail the media with an endless stream of charges of bias and dishonesty. And too often, members of the news media do just enough to at least justify those suspicions.
Meanwhile, some on the left undermine the police incessantly, often using horrific and real anecdotes to accuse them of systemic harms that do not exist. Many on the right unceasingly disparage our schools and institutions of higher learning. Some in academia attack our history, emphasizing only the negative and never the positive. Extremists on the both the right and the left invoke constitutional rights only when they protect their interests, then disparage them when they don’t.
Along the way, the observers and news consumers are buying all this hook, line and sinker — embracing the hot takes that align with their political instincts.
Is it any wonder our children are growing up skeptical of every institution in their world? Of the validity of their own country? Of their ability to forge a successful future? Is it any wonder that more and more people feel as if they must take any means necessary to prevent what they believe is a coming catastrophe?
I suspect that at least some of us are thinking that we are not morally equivalent to those monsters on the other side. But that is precisely the problem: people on both extremes are thinking that. That stubborn certainty of one’s own rightness is what has gotten us into this mess. We must stop this way of thinking.
Lest there be any doubt, let me be as clear as I can be. I am blaming all of us for what is happening to our country. I am not suggesting that we cannot criticize individuals and institutions in power. We can and should disagree on many things, but we must remember to do so with civility, within the institutions that humanity has painstakingly developed over centuries: the rule of law, free and fair elections, separation of powers and an independent judiciary, universities that put the pursuit of truth above political preferences, journalists who do the same, religious institutions that help many of us make sense of the world and contribute far more to humanitarian efforts than is ever reported, and police forces focused on protecting health and safety.
One thing I have learned in my study of peacemakers is that they see the good in others, including those with whom they disagree. The rest of us strut around thinking that the world is comprised of three kinds of people: those who agree with us, monsters and fools.
In fact, if we can spend even just a little time connecting with others, we will realize that many who disagree with us are operating in good faith from reasonable positions. To do so, we must get off social media. We must talk to our neighbors. We have to get to know people and understand their concerns; hunt for and listen to sophisticated arguments from those who disagree with us. If we don’t believe they exist, we’re not working hard enough. Arguments against our preferred positions always exist, on nearly every issue. Our nation, our people, our entire society needs us all to try harder.
Politicians who are knowingly lying about elections and the courts and institutions of higher learning and religion need to stop. The media need to return to standards of journalistic integrity and reduce their bias both on the right and the left. They need to stop with the sensationalist headlines and characterizations. Journalists can do more to report on the good that religion is doing in our society, instead of focusing only on the extraordinary stories involving a few bad actors. Religious leaders can ensure their institutions are reflecting the best of their teachings, and focus on being places of worship, not of politics. Academics can engage in critical analyses of our history without ignoring our ancestors’ impressive achievements upon which our society is built. And we all need to be more judicious and stop providing a market for polarized journalism.
The left and the right need to stop claiming that the United States will collapse if someone from the other party gets elected. It won’t.
The ad hominem attacks in the name of some cause or another must stop. If you disagree with Trump’s policies, critique those policies, not the man. If you disagree with a decision of the Supreme Court, decry its logic, reasoning and evidence, not the character of the justices or the institution itself. If you believe Biden’s decisions have been disastrous, explain why in thoughtful ways, not through snarky memes.
For any given topic, read at least two stories from two different news outlets with conflicting biases. We need to engage in real learning and not rely on partisans to inform us about the world.
If you feel change is needed at any level of government, vote, run for office, express your opinions in respectful and considerate ways to elected officials. Propose alternative ideas. And if you can’t persuade elected officials or judges, accept the results and plan for the next election. In the meantime, look to help and uplift the people around you, the people in the real world.
Now I am sure there are some among us who would like to see all our systems broken down, dismantled, and deconstructed so they can rebuild our society according to their own vision. But I don’t think they fully understand the cost of what they are doing and what they have to lose. I also believe they are in the minority. As for the rest of us, if we continue to weaken our foundational institutions at every turn, I fear we, and our posterity, will regret it forever. The devil will turn on us, and we will have nowhere to go.
Steven T. Collis is a First Amendment law professor at the University of Texas, Austin, and the author of the forthcoming book “Habits of a Peacemaker: 10 Habits to Change Our Potentially Toxic Conversations into Healthy Dialogues.”