OPINION: Time to reduce the rancor, Minnesota

After the assassination attempt on Donald Trump and the ensuing recriminations, it’s on each of us to back away from over-heated rhetoric and mutual demonization, no matter where we land on the political spectrum. The cycle of contempt has moved past words and into political violence. 

Here’s what we must do as we head into the upcoming election: 

The immediate priority is to avoid escalating an already precarious situation. Do not throw fuel on the fire through attacks and counterattacks over responsibility for the assassination attempt. We’ve already gotten ourselves into a deep hole. The first thing to do is stop digging. 

We must tone down the apocalyptic rhetoric that our democracy will not survive four years of a President Trump or a President Harris. When the survival of the American experiment is at stake, violence can seem justified and even heroic. 

We have to believe in ourselves that we can hold onto our democratic republic no matter who wins or loses this election. 

We must use this time to soul-search what we’ve allowed to happen in our political culture, from the national to the local level, and in our families and friendships. Polarization is a “We the People” problem and not just a “those politicians” problem. We each have a role to play.

 We must insist that our elected officials and candidates put polarization on the table as a central problem of our time and ask them how they plan to address it in words and deeds. 

In Minnesota, ordinary citizens are pushing back through the “Reduce the Rancor, Minnesota” campaign, sponsored by Braver Angels Minnesota (mn.braverangels.org/reduce-the-rancor), a chapter of the national nonprofit Braver Angels. Workshops and conversations with local elected officials and everyday Minnesotans have revealed how anger and tension have surged since the pandemic. A small-town mayor received a death threat after a water main broke. School board members face threats and verbal assaults over policy disputes. On a personal level, families avoid political discussions to prevent rifts. 

Our Braver Angels team – all volunteers – developed Reduce the Rancor, Minnesota, to counter this distressing trend. We knew bipartisan endorsement was critical or it would fail from the start. So, we approached Republican state chair David Hann and DFL state chair Ken Martin. They agreed to co-sponsor Reduce the Rancor, Minnesota, recognizing the toxic impact of detesting political opponents and the threat of polarization within their own parties. These two leaders respect and get along with each other. Who knew? This approach matches the Braver Angels leadership model that must include reds and blues working together. 

We launched the campaign last March at the University of St. Thomas, headlined by Hann and Martin and leaders from more than 20 sponsoring organizations including the Association of Minnesota Counties, the Minnesota School Boards Association, the Citizens League, the League of Minnesota Cities, Minnesota Public Radio, 10 colleges, plus religious and professional organizations. The goal: work with these organizations (up to 30 now) to lower the political temperature during this election season and to build their capacity for bridge- building and constructive disagreement. 

Braver Angels’ success stories across the country — backed by independent academic research — show the strong impact of citizens learning new skills to counter toxic polarization. Our workshops have helped people engage in constructive dialogue, reducing community tensions. Similar efforts have led to local policy changes and improved relationships among school board members. These examples show that ordinary people can make a difference. 

As a family therapist and a Lutheran minister, we have seen people reach a precipice and pull back to reassess their direction. If we can’t lower the temperature and reduce the rancor in Minnesota, who else can? We can lead the way. 

William Doherty is an emeritus professor of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota and cofounder of Braver Angels. Jeffrey Thiemann is a retired pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a member of the Braver Angels Minnesota steering team. This Op/Ed was originally published by the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Sunday, July 28.