Why are Americans so divided? | Voter Voices

Channel: NPR

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:01] [music]

[0:05] If we would have to rely upon each

[0:07] other, we couldn't be so divided.

[0:10] [music] Our society has lost the

[0:13] knowledge and the care for each other

[0:16] and the humility to be in the middle.

[0:20] >> People are seeing this more as a

[0:22] competition of who's right instead of a

[0:25] competition of what's right. we can't

[0:27] really come to a compromise on certain

[0:29] things and that that doesn't build for a

[0:31] constructive platform for people.

[0:35] >> I think what happened with is a lot of

[0:37] the far radical progressives came in and

[0:41] took over the Democratic party.

[0:44] >> I I think the polarization is

[0:46] terrifying. I think that it's not

[0:49] allowing things to get done because a

[0:52] lot of times both sides are looking at

[0:54] extremist points that aren't going to

[0:57] get any of us anywhere. I feel like the

[1:00] world has become unsafe for people who

[1:03] are in any kind of marginalized group.

[1:07] There's very few people that are truly

[1:08] independent in their thinking and in

[1:11] their politics and most people [music]

[1:12] just sort of fall into what they were

[1:15] what they grew up with. And so we

[1:16] actually have friends on both sides of

[1:17] the political aisle and no one's really

[1:20] changed.

[1:22] >> When people don't don't get what they

[1:24] want, they get they get radical. But I

[1:27] think for the worst time ever, I don't I

[1:28] feel like people are more being

[1:30] reasonable and then seeing something for

[1:31] they are honestly most people I talk to

[1:34] anymore don't even they're not buying it

[1:36] anymore because whatever you fall left

[1:38] or right is it's too radical for most

[1:40] people cuz people just want to survive

[1:41] and and people want to live.

[1:44] I believe the country is being divided

[1:46] intentionally. We've always heard divide

[1:48] and conquer and I think that's what it

[1:50] the current administration is [music]

[1:52] trying to do and uh especially now with

[1:55] midterms coming up uh it's it's being

[2:00] reinforced.

[2:01] >> I think that the idea of of siloed

[2:03] information is really happening and I

[2:06] think it's being done like with intent.

[2:08] Uh, I have a lot of faith though that

[2:11] like we can more come together rather

[2:13] than split apart.

[2:16] >> There are some people that believe

[2:18] things that Trump says cuz I don't

[2:21] believe anything he says. [laughter]

[2:23] And so I try not to feel animosity

[2:26] towards those folks, but it's hard

[2:28] sometimes because that is what has

[2:31] gotten us where we are today. In my

[2:33] opinion, I have the right [laughter]

[2:35] opinion. And I'm sure they think they

[2:37] have the right opinion. But if if people

[2:39] aren't willing to talk to each other

[2:42] calmly, then I just don't know how we

[2:44] ever get back.