How Can We Make Our Neighborhoods Great Again?

A few days ago, one of my friends drove to work and found her neighbors' house covered in hateful graffiti. The day before that, someone else posted about a Jewish friend who woke up to find their car covered in graffiti. In the discussion that followed, it was clear that they were not alone.

I'm not trying to say for one second that South Bend has always been a peaceful, idyllic paradise. I'm well aware of our crime rates.

But there's been a shift in our country. The rules for public discourse have changed. Polite discussion has been replaced with dismissal and hostility.

The old taboos have been broken down and trampled in the dust. While racism is nothing new in America, it's usually been hidden behind nuance and innuendo. Now, it's right out in the open. Compassion is derided as political correctness. Violence is openly encouraged. Hate crimes are increasing.

Even though we see this all over the news, we like to imagine that it's happening somewhere else, and that our own neighborhoods are still mostly safe. We like to think that we can still get together for a cookout with our neighbors who vote differently and have a good time with them.

And while that might remain true for most of us, the chaos is leaking in.

An older man in my congregation left the church after our pastor spoke against racism. My neighbor across the street hasn't spoken to me since the election. Many of my minority and LGBTQ+ friends have been seeking therapy due to the increase in hate speech they've experienced.

And now, property is being destroyed with racist graffiti.

How can we stay peaceful with our neighbors when every side is drawing the battle lines?

I doubt there's an easy answer. Sometimes, it feels like there's no way to resist the madness that is spreading. We'll just keep fracturing and fracturing until we take up arms against each other and wage a second Civil War.

But I have to believe that we can avoid that violence. Despite corruption in every branch of our government, despite increasingly hostile discourse, despite rising threats and hatred, I have to believe that we can return to some level of normalcy.

I have to believe that in the end, kindness and compassion will overcome differences in worldview.

But that doesn't happen on accident: we have to choose it.

We have to choose to react with kindness instead of flying into a rage. We have to choose to have empathy for our neighbors. Sometimes, we might have to choose to avoid those discussions altogether.

But more importantly, we have to choose to see the person in front of us for more than the sum of their votes. Because for all of the Trump voters I know, none of them voted for Trump because they were racist. None of the Clinton voters I know voted for her because they hated the troops.

We all just want what's best for our country. We might have different opinions on what that looks like or how to get there, but most of us have the best intentions in mind. We have to remember that our neighbors aren't villains of the American people: they are well-meaning people with whom we have some disagreements.

We have to choose to see our neighbors as people rather than adversaries. And while this might not make for a just and equitable country overnight, it might just curb the rise of hate and incivility that has been taking over.