Can Political Differences Be Civil?

Witness the evolution of our historically congenial and conscientious DFL governor. Mr. Dayton has called political and policy opponents “racist,” and invited dissenters to leave the state. The governor is now in a political checks and balances contest with the state legislature over his attempt to defund GOP appropriations for the Republican dominated Legislature. That policy was recently rejected by the Appeals Court and is headed to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

In our contemporary political culture, traditional values people are demonized. Police officers who risk their lives to protect us and perform critical social services are portrayed as villains. Criminals are called victims. Certainly, however, police-community cultural and political conflicts must be addressed, as Twin Cities civilian and law enforcement leaders are being forced to do.

Attempts to increase national security at our borders and combat the crimes and costs associated with open borders are met with derision, insults and threats. Attempts to get inner city children out of failing schools and crime ridden neighborhoods, and into better private and public schools, and home schooling are opposed by powerful lobby groups. Many liberals don’t like this kind of “choice.” Attempts by courageous, dedicated, and sometimes brutalized teachers to publicize and prevent the violence in a few Twin Cities schools are termed racist.

The Center of the American Experiment website has chronicled instances of a few Twin Cities area teachers intimidating, insulting and isolating conservative students and supporters of President Trump. Students are exposed to “the pernicious doctrine of white privilege” and “political re-education classes.” Angry parents, students, and concerned teachers from a variety of cultures and ethnic backgrounds have provided testimony about these events, and some have withdrawn their children.

These occurrences are indefensible. The amelioration of these circumstances will require more cross-cultural civility and a genuine “tolerance of diversity.”