Editorials.(News)(Editorial)

0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), November, 2005

Will weary nation bridge or broaden divide? Given the depth and heat of the 2004 presidential election vitriol, even asking whether wounds might have healed seems almost pointless. But ask the Associated Press did in a story published Monday. The answer, predictably enough, was "no," with the added suggestion that the political divides in America might actually be worse than a year ago.

Having been pummeled by events - Sept. 11, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, hurricanes seemingly bent on U.S. destruction and political warfare in Washington, Americans have grown more cynical and less hopeful of the nation's resilience. "It's a public that's very seasoned," said Zizi Papacharissi of Temple University, who has studied civility and the lack thereof. "There's...