by Jeff Schoep
Founder of Beyond Barriers and Consultant to Simon Wiesenthal Center
So, the hashtags #farright and #farleft were trending on Twitter. Terms thrown around so loosely, and misused. As a former #extremist, witnessing the ongoing divide in America is concerning. Each side accusing the other of being traitors, #Nazis, #Commies, etcetera . Labeling and mislabeling one another. Such behavior mimics the exact same tactics willfully utilized by #extremist propagandists and recruiters. Fear mongering, spewing vitriol, demonization, and #othering. All key components which can and does lead to #radicalization.
Each of us can do our part to heal those divisions. It starts with the person in your mirror, not the other side. Civil discourse begins with each of us, offering the same courtesy to one another. Instead of labeling, dividing, race baiting, and tribalism, let’s embrace our shared #humanity. We can heal America’s divides together .
