OPINION | Community in the face of division

The breakdown of traditional media and the rise of social media has rewarded attention-seeking behavior and viral grandstanding.

By MARC MALON | State Rep., Dist. 133

On April 29, the Maine Legislature adjourned “without day.” This means that unless a special session is called – which is very unlikely – we have concluded our business for the 132nd Legislature. You’ll note that I did not say we finished our work – this is because our work is never done.

Our work this session was two-fold — passing policies that help Mainers who are struggling with the rising cost of living and protecting them against abuses of power and harmful policy decisions coming out of the Trump Administration. I am particularly proud to have advocated for changes to the school funding formula, which will bring more resources to better support Biddeford kids. But in this column, I want to focus on an overarching concern I have had throughout this term: the erosion of our political system.

I am not someone who mindlessly glorifies the past. American history is littered with examples of extremism and corruption. But despite that, you can also point to countless examples of our progress. Every era has its own challenges and opportunities.

Right now, I am worried about the continued fracturing of our political culture. I don’t mean disagreement or partisanship. In fact, a healthy democracy needs political parties who challenge and hold each other to account. But with the breakdown of traditional media and changes to the dissemination of news, I fear that we are increasingly lacking a sense of shared reality, and that is dangerous.

**POLITICAL IN-FIGHTING** | Communist lawmakers scuffle with right-wing Svoboda ( Freedom) Party lawmakers during a parliament session of Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, in Kiev, Ukraine, April 8, 2014. | *Vladimir Strumkovsky/AP Photo*

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The breakdown of traditional media and the rise of social media has rewarded attention-seeking behavior and viral grandstanding. When performance takes precedence over passing good policy, it becomes more difficult to enact solutions that actually help people.

While there are certainly Democrats who behave this way, it is indisputable that the extremism and performative antisocial behavior we are seeing is largely driven by President Trump and MAGA media. T

his isn’t merely a partisan claim from someone who used to work for the Democratic Party – work I am proud of. It’s backed up by independent research, dating back to a study from nonpartisan scholars Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein who released their findings in the 2012 book It’s Even Worse than It Looks.

I have worked well with many Republican legislators during my tenure, but too many members of their caucus are influenced by extremism.

Influenced by outlets like The Maine Wire, these legislators flood their communities with hateful attacks on immigrants, transgender Mainers and anyone else they can use as fodder to gin up fear and anger amongst their base. This rhetoric bleeds into our legislative chambers in the form of unprofessional and unproductive behavior, effectively wasting up valuable time and energy.

For example:

Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) directed an online harassment campaign against a teenager, refused to apologize, and thus, was censured for her actions.

Rep. Mike Soboleski (R-Phillips) used the announcements section at the end of our session days to read anti-immigrant Trump press releases.

Rep. Barbara Bagshaw (R-Windham), who attended the “Stop the Steal” rallies in Washington before the January 6 insurrection, said that Capitol Police provoked their own attack that day.

There are many more examples. Some of it is likely a symptom of social media frying our brains – I say this knowing that I use social media extensively, probably more than I should, and will share this column on Facebook. It has both given people a connection point to politics who may not have otherwise had it, while also deepening our disconnection with each other; worsening our ability to recognize our shared humanity. If you don’t believe me, look at the comments section for any post by a media outlet or a public official.

I am not sure how to fix this, but identifying these problems is a necessary first step. To be clear, I am not advocating for some return to a fictional “civility” which never existed, and I am not advocating for us all to simply get along.

Conflict is not only inherent in politics, but also necessary in a democracy. It is important that different points of view are voiced and debated, passionately and even heatedly. And then we vote. If voters don’t like the outcomes of those votes, they can and should vote out the people they disagree with. Politics isn’t a dirty word; it is how we should cordially sort out our differences.

Conflict is not only inherent
in politics, but also necessary
in a democracy

To see any progress, though, there must be a return to in-person connection. Community is the only antidote to division. It should not be surprising that even in this era, the vast majority of legislative committee reports are bipartisan, and often unanimous. This is because, in our respective committee rooms, we are facing each other in a quieter setting and diving deep into the issues that matter to people we represent. I take the immense privilege of representing each of you in the Maine House extremely seriously, and I will continue to do everything I can to honor the trust you have placed in me.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Rep. Marc Malon is serving his second term in the Maine House representing a portion of Biddeford. He serves as a member of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee and the Housing and Economic Development Committee. He can be reached via email at marc.malon@legislature.maine.gov

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