In light of what happened on the national stage yesterday, and the response I’ve seen to it on social media from people I know and people I don’t know, these quotations come to mind.
1) From the Margaret Mitchell novel Gone With the Wind: “Mrs. Elsing’s head jerked up and she started toward the door. With her hand on the knob of the front door, she stopped and turned. ‘Melly,’ she said and her voice softened, ‘honey, this breaks my heart. I was your mother’s best friend and I helped Dr. Meade bring you into this word and I’ve loved you like you were mine. If it were something that mattered it wouldn’t be so hard to hear you talk like this. But about a woman like Scarlett O’Hara who’d just as soon do you a dirty turn as the next of us —’”
2) From the Ranald MacDougall screenplay of Mildred Pierce: “Veda, I think I’m really seeing you for the first time in my life and you’re cheap and horrible.” (Relevant scene may be viewed here.)
3) From Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: “12. Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is part of being a citizen and a responsible member of society. It is also a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down social barriers, and understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life.”