Polarized America: A Personal Odyssey
Just observing some of the rancorous give-and-take on my conservative Facebook site and in my career:
The country, it is now trite-but-true to point out, is angrily polarized. For a guy soon heading headlong into his eighties, it means something to say that I have never seen the country in constant internecine war.
Media, professionals, family are all suffused with fighting, all of them (but not in my own family, thank goodness).
For those who know this old-head well, you know that I do not get angry or resentful. But for those who have cancelled me (e.g., WCBM, WBAL, and others), I am aware of your news reporting inferiority but also have reached the age wherein I don’t really enjoy live commenting any more. Of course, the radio cancellations were complete and without exception.
But I must say, for many at radio stations who went along with this without a squeak, particularly at WBAL wherein I worked for decades, I deluded myself that I was working with professionals and friends.
I am just profoundly disappointed in them as decent people. I would love to hear how they explain professional ethics to their children.
For those who vehemently disagree with me professionally on Facebook, buds such as Marc Steiner, Rod Carveth and others, I tremendously respect their body of work over the years and really cherish our exchanges and friendship.
The only Facebook participants whom I have canned are those who insist on using profanity or libelous posts.
I taught for over 50 years at colleges and universities, and I believe I never lost my temper, but I always held disagree-ers’ (and agree-ers’) feet to the fire.
Part of the reason for that is that teaching persuasion, debating and argument was and is part of my job as professor. I also recognize how little effect one voice has in the world.
As for the dearth of integrity to which I am referring here, there are few exceptions. But I should like to cite a few.
The Towson University Administration, led by President Mark Ginsberg and principals, all of whom disagree with my political points of view, constitutes the fairest university leadership I have ever known. And the closest to their level of integrity are prior Towson administrations.
When 3 years ago, 25 or so radical faculty (Towson has over 1,000 full-time faculty) called for my head because I would not resign as advisor to Charlie Kirk’s Towson’s Turning Point, of whom 2 members had made racially and sexually derisive remarks on what they thought were private phone calls, for which I demanded their resignation or firing.
The Towson Administration unanimously supported me, and Provost Melanie Perreault and Vice President Brian DeFilippis went further than that, it shall suffice me to say.
Turning Point immediately ridded itself of the offenders.
Regarding the general American polarization, don’t blame just one side for all of the contentious fighting, although I don’t see conservatives boycotting States of the Union, I should point out.
There is more to this story. But the polarization of America is unnecessary – respectful disagreement is necessary.
But honorable disagreement is always possible if the parties have integrity.
Richard E. Vatz https://wp.towson.edu/vatz/ is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of political rhetoric at Towson University and author of The Only Authentic of Persuasion: the Agenda-Spin Model (Bookwrights House, 2024) and over 200 other works, essays, lectures, and op-eds. He is the benefactor of the Richard E. Vatz Best Debater Award at Towson. The Van Bokkelen Auditorium at Towson University has been named after him.