Democracy Forum 10/18/19: Hate and Fear in Politics: How fear and Anger Endanger Democracy

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine
Engineer: Amy Browne

Program Topic: Hate and Fear in Politics: How fear and anger endanger democracy

Key Discussion Points:

We talk about hate and fear in politics and whether they undermine democracy:
How panic and fear make space for abandoning the rule of law and the regular order;
How when we demonize the opposition, it makes room for extraordinary measures to stop them.

Guests:
Joanne Freeman, Professor of history and American studies at Yale University history.yale.edu/people/joanne-freeman
Steve Wessler, Maine human rights educator, trainer, and advocate specializing in conflict resolution www.stevewessler.com/

To learn more about this topic:
“Trump and the Politics of Fear,” Molly Ball in The Atlantic, September, 2016.
“America Descends into the Politics of Rage,” Joanne Freeman in The Atlantic, October, 2018.
“The Upside of Anger,” Isaac Chotiner interviews Martha C. Nussbaum for Slate, August, 2018

The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Maryann Ogonowski, Pam Person, Leah Taylor, Linda Washburn

FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org