Election 2024: When small MN city confronts big political tension
Press Clip Source: Public News Service
Mike Moen, Producer
If it is getting harder to talk with the people in your life about politics, a community-level survey in northeastern Minnesota indicated you are not alone.
A small city there is making an effort to put political divisiveness out to pasture. Some 55% of residents of Grand Marais said polarization in politics is something they have noticed. The result was second-highest in a question focused on communitywide tension, in a survey commissioned by the regional nonprofit Northspan.
Amber Lewis, consultant and Welcoming Community program manager for the group, said in an early October meeting, they then provided de-escalation training for those in attendance.
"When you are in a conversation with somebody and you start talking about politics, and there might be some very different viewpoints that rise up, you get out of your window of tolerance," Lewis explained. "We talked a little bit about that. How do you stay cool, calm, collected?"
She pointed out they want people to still have chats in the future but at least have the tools to prevent the conversation from blowing up. Lewis acknowledged potential setbacks, such as social media serving as a distraction. This outreach led by Northspan is through a partnership with the humanitarian group Nonviolent Peaceforce to address safety concerns in select Minnesota towns.
The local workshops and surveys do not only cover politics but Lewis said tensions surrounding elections often overshadow the fabric of a smaller community. She suggested people feel more inclined these days to take back their town's identity and reestablish normalcy in their daily lives.
"You don't have the same dynamic that you have in a city where there's as many options," Lewis acknowledged. "If you want to go shopping at a grocery store and don't want to run into somebody who maybe you've had this political back-and-forth with, you don't really have that option. You have one grocery store to go to, or two grocery stores, maybe."
Political scientists said elected officials and their campaigns often take their cues from voters. Lewis argued a grassroots approach by communities to build a resistance to hateful rhetoric in politics might send a message and end the cycle.
"That is my greatest hope and expectation," Lewis stressed. "That we can see that push towards less polarized communities that will then affect who we're electing and how those elected officials respond to each other, and respond to conflicts while they're in office."