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Can America heal after the election? Clergy, researchers tackle political anxiety and toxic polarization – The Mercury News


During a Mass held the evening of Election Day, the priest at St. Clement Parish in Lincoln Park in Chicago asked for God’s blessings for “our world, our church and our nation, and those who need our prayers” during this decisive moment for the country.

“We pray for peace and unity,” said the Rev. Peter Wojcik, shortly before distributing the Eucharist to roughly three dozen faithful dotting the pews.

The church was open all day for services and private prayer, in part to serve as a haven for those plagued by worry, confusion or stress about the election and its aftermath.

People receive communion from the Rev. Peter Wojcik during a special Election Day Mass at Saint Clement Church in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood on Nov. 5, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
People receive communion from the Rev. Peter Wojcik during a special Election Day Mass at St. Clement Church in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on Nov. 5, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) 

“As anytime we feel these emotions, the best answer is to go to prayer,” states an Election Day prayer and resources guide on the church’s website. “By seeking God’s will, we ease the anxiety of the unknown and open our hearts to peace and respect.”

Yet unity and civility might prove difficult to foster for large swaths of the country. Although the election is over — and Republican Donald Trump has begun the transition to his second presidential term after defeating Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris — much of America is still grappling to heal after a turbulent campaign season marked by vitriolic political rhetoric and violence.

The American Psychological Association report “Stress in America 2024: A Nation in Political Turmoil” paints a stark picture of the nation’s heightened anxiety, political polarization and strained social relationships.

More than three-quarters of American adults polled said the future of the nation is a source of significant stress and 69% reported worrying about the outcome of the election, according to the report. The survey, which was conducted by The Harris Poll and released in October, showed that more than half of Americans “have very little to no trust in the United States government,” and 41% said the state of the nation has even prompted them to consider moving to another country. Nearly two-thirds of those who responded felt their rights were under siege.

These divisions have also sown discord in relationships: Half of those surveyed reported that tension around social and political discussions made them less inclined to connect with other people and nearly 30% believe they have nothing in common with those with opposing political views; 46% said they would refuse to date someone with contrasting political views.

The upcoming holiday season might also be rough for some politically split families: About 30% of respondents reported curbing time with family members “because they don’t share the same values,” according to the report. Roughly a third of those polled said political polarization has strained relationships with relatives, and the percentages were higher for men, Latino respondents and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“For nearly a decade, people have faced a political climate that is highly charged, which has led to the erosion of civil discourse and strained our relationships with our friends and our families,” American Psychological Association CEO Arthur Evans Jr. said in a written statement about the findings. “But isolating ourselves from our communities is a recipe for adding more stress to our lives. We must remember that the most extreme voices are often the loudest, and that the majority of adults share similar values and concerns.”

Kamala Harris' name is written in a book of names to be prayed for during a special Election Day Mass at Saint Clement Church in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood on Nov. 5, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Kamala Harris’ name is written in a book of names to be prayed for during a special Election Day Mass at St. Clement Church in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood on Nov. 5, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) 

At St. Clement on Election Day, 63-year-old Joan Young said she took comfort in praying alongside her fellow parishioners during such an anxiety-ridden time. The images of saints that filled the church also served as a visual reminder that so much history has passed and much more will transpire, she said.

This moment for humanity is “like a blink of an eye historically,” she added.

Jeannine Cleary, 70, said she came to ask God for “peace in our country — healing,” regardless of the election’s outcome.

“That we can grow from it and survive,” she said. “That there’s peace and stability.”

Reassessing the political divide

Psychotherapist Jeanne Safer offers glimpses at how political feuds and growing polarization have strained American relationships in her book “I Love You, but I Hate Your Politics: How to Protect Your Intimate Relationships in a Poisonous Partisan World,” which came out in 2019 during the first Trump presidency.

The introduction depicts Thanksgiving meals cut short to avoid political arguments. More loved ones unfriending or unfollowing one another on social media due to ideological disputes. Partisan media growing in prominence as dialogue across the political aisle among friends and family members simultaneously “becomes rarer and rarer,” she lamented in the book.

“Now, in the Trump era, it has disappeared entirely: the political has become the personal, making lovers and friends with different party affiliations a vanishing breed,” the book concludes.

Yet Safer believes people can disagree politically and still love one another. She cited her own marriage of decades as a liberal to a staunch conservative. And her book draws from interviews with dozens of others who are in politically mixed relationships of all types, creating a practical guide to preserving respect and love even amid political or ideological disagreements.

“People don’t realize you can have a difference of opinion with somebody, even somebody you love and care about, and the world doesn’t end,” Safer said during a recent interview with the Tribune.



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