January 5, 2017

Dealing with the Trump presidency; how one community approached it

Las Cruces Sun-News, NM - Twenty or so chairs arranged in a circle and an equal number of Las Cruces residents to fill them were the basics of kick-starting a civil dialogue Wednesday about a post-election America with Donald Trump as president.

Ground rules were outlined on a sheet of paper: no insults, hate speech, insulting gestures or "verbal disrespect" aimed at any individuals or demographic groups. And with that, a group of Las Crucens participating in a discussion at Peace Lutheran Church shared various views about the state of American politics, concerns about changes that could be forthcoming with Trump as president and what to do next.

Most of the attendees at the "The Great Conversation," a type of moderated discussion, were concerned about a Trump presidency. The reasons ranged from LGBTQ rights to Social Security benefits to immigration, though at least one participant said he'd voted for Trump for president. Even among those attendees with worries, they had different takes on how to view Trump's presidency: Is it a dire situation or should a less-severe viewpoint be adopted?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What, rational, civilized discourse?
Have always held a fondness for the folks in New Mexico, this is no surprise. Best rellenos in the world are to be had there.