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One of the more troubling aspects of declining civic life in America is how few of us know our neighbors.
Pew Research Center reported earlier this year that just about a quarter of us say we know all or most of our neighbors. The majority — 62% — say they only know some, and 12% of us confess to not knowing any of them.
Interaction with neighbors has been declining in recent years, even as loneliness, with its assorted risks, has been on the rise. The solution — increased socialization — can be challenging, particularly for those who lead busy lives or who have a hard time getting out for any number of reasons.
But there’s an opportunity before us this week that will not just help connect us to our neighbors, but improve our communities’ health: Buy candy and turn on your lights Friday night.
Trick-or-treating is, as Rachel Davison Humphries wrote for The Wall Street Journal recently, “one of our last democratic rituals.”
Humphries argues that it’s not just about the candy, although children may see it like that. It’s also, she says, “a rehearsal for citizenship: an exercise in courage, respect and confidence in the goodwill of others.” Moreover, the tradition is “one of the few holidays that invite everyone —regardless of income, background or belief — into public, shared spaces."
I admit, I hold an idyllic view of Halloween, having grown up in a neighborhood that was conducive to trick-or-treating, and living in one now. On Halloween night, my neighborhood is full of children in costumes and some people even offer adult treats to the parents that accompany them.
But to Humphries’ point, unless you live in a gated community, Halloween’s booty is available to all — there’s nothing to keep people from trick-or-treating outside of their own neighborhood. In fact, even age isn’t as much a barrier as it used to be, with many people now saying that they’re OK with respectful teens in costume coming to their door.
There are, of course, many families who see Halloween as a celebration of evil, and I’ve seen decorations this month that have made me cringe. There are political displays that can inflame partisan divisions and turn neighbor on neighbor. And there are those that are too gruesome for kids, or disturbing in other ways. In South Carolina, there’s a house decorated to look as if it’s on fire, and it’s so realistic that passers-by are calling 911, which seems an unnecessary tax on public resources.
I’m not sure what America’s fascination with giant skeletons says about us, and whether that part of Halloween is healthy, but bring on the little kids dressed up as pirates and angels, and the adults exchanging friendly greetings as they knock on the doors of houses they usually just pass in their cars.
As Humphries put it: “This Halloween, for the love of America—please turn on the porch light, go door-to-door, open your own.“
The ‘God gap’ that should worry Democrats
Ryan Burge, the former pastor and respected religion researcher, is out this week with eye-opening statistics that help to explain why the Democratic Party is struggling to reach the people who occupy the heartland of America.
Democrats, Burge wrote, seem to have forgotten that the majority of America is Christian — possibly because so few Democrats are churchgoers themselves. This partisan “God gap” is startling, and it has opened up within a relatively short period of time. It helps to explain why the Democratic Party is having a hard time finding issues that the whole party can get behind.
“Here’s the tweetable stat: nearly three-quarters of white Democrats in 2024 seldom or never attended a house of worship. That’s remarkable when compared to the national figure of 55%,” Burge wrote.
He went on: “Only 12% of white Democrats attended weekly. Put differently: for every weekly-attending white Democrat, there are six who attend church less than once a year.”
In contrast, “Among non-white Democrats, the picture is much closer to the national average. About 24% still attend weekly, and 54% seldom or never go. In other words, the ‘average American’ looks a lot like the ‘average Democrat of color’ in terms of religious activity.”
It’s hard to overstate what a conundrum this is for Democrats, but Burge puts it in stark terms. For Democrats, he said, “A message of faith and values will probably turn off as many voters as it attracts.”
And with rumblings of a religious revival under way in America, this problem is likely only to get worse.
Joe Rogan, evangelist for church?
Speaking of religious revival, my colleague Mariya Manzhos writes this week about podcaster Joe Rogan talking about the benefits of church-going and Bible-reading. This is not to say that Rogan is on the cusp of making a profession of faith, but it’s a change from when he was full-on secular. “I’m really interested in what these people are trying to say because I don’t think it’s nothing,” he recently said.
Recommended reading
Naomi Schaefer Riley recently talked to a retired college professor who told her about how grading had changed over the course of his career, with the average grade moving from C to B.
“It is a scandal that these kids who are trying to hold down full-time jobs while going to class — maybe even supporting a family — in order to get a college degree are instead being sold a bill of goods. First, their high schools tell them they can do college-level work, then college admissions officers tell them they are qualified to enter classes without any kind of remedial work, then the college teachers ... tell them they have successfully completed the class and can either go on to a higher level and/or tell their employers that they are competent in the subject."
The scandal of grade inflation
Jacob Hess looks at that meme — the one that President Donald Trump posted on social media about the recent No Kings protests — and asks whether there is anything valuable to be found in memes that repel a wide swath of Americans. The technology is new; the strategy isn’t.
“As early as satirical papyri and tablets in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia mocking authority and social roles, there’s a long history of satire critiquing the elite — including Athenian playwright Aristophanes, who mercilessly mocked politicians and philosophers in his 5th century Greek comedies."
Are ridicule, mockery and trolling effective? That depends on your goal
There’s a theory afoot that everything wrong with our culture can be blamed on women taking control of everything. Valerie Hudson pushes back on the so-called “Great Feminization.”
“We don’t need or want a return to male dominance, and we don’t need or want female dominance in its stead. The obvious alternative is a sincere, meaningful, equal partnership between men and women, the two halves of humanity that constitute human societies and literally create the future of the species together.”
First we had to worry about the Great Reset. Now it’s the Great Feminization we’re supposed to fear
End notes
Catching a flight today at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., I came across something I’d never seen before: the celebration awaiting veterans who are on an “Honor Flight” to visit the memorials that commemorate their service.
There was a live band, cheerleaders, an Honor Guard and an enthusiastic gathering of diverse people there for the purpose of welcoming the veterans as they entered the airport terminal. It was the most heart-warming thing I’ve seen all year.
I later found a Facebook page that explains the nonprofit organization behind this initiative:
“The Honor Flight Network (honorflight.org) is dedicated to getting the World War II veterans to their memorial. We make sure every veteran coming into Dulles receives the Hero’s Welcome that they so strongly deserve!” The program also serves veterans who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
There are Honor Flight hubs across the country, including one in Utah. To look into getting a veteran you love on such a flight, go to the website and look for “find a hub.” There’s no better timing, with Veterans Day less than two weeks away.