Democratic Connecticut Senator Christopher Murphy has been spending the last several months talking about an unusual subject for a politician: loneliness.
"If democracy can't deliver on the disconnection and disaffection that Americans feel, they're going to give up on democracy," Murphy tells Newsweek. "Some demagogue, much more effective than Donald Trump, will come along and pick up on all of this anxiety and disaffection and disconnection and channel it into a political movement that will overturn democracy." Murphy was the congressman representing the Connecticut district containing Sandy Hook at the time of the 2012 school massacre there. Last year, in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, Murphy-an ardent gun control advocate with an F rating from the National Rifle Association was one of the Senate sponsors of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
The measure, which, among other things, provides more funding for mental health programs and tightens some existing gun restrictions, was the first gun control bill to make it through Congress in decades and was signed into law by President Joe Biden in June.
Murphy says the experience proved that if Republicans and Democrats were frozen in place on most gun legislation, there were still some things they could agree on. That, he tells Newsweek, spurred him to try to reframe the political discussions about polarization and violence in America. Last December he wrote an article for The Bulwark, a conservative anti-Trump website, entitled the "The Politics of Loneliness," where he warned "social isolation threatens devastating consequences for the social fabric of our nation."
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 19, 2023-Ausgabe von Newsweek US.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 19, 2023-Ausgabe von Newsweek US.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Most Loved Workplaces 2024
A THE WORLD'S MOST LOVED WORKPLACES ARE REMARKABLE FOR A variety of reasons.
Maya Hawke
MAYA HAWKE WEARS MANY HATS: ACTOR, WRITER, SINGER. BUT FOR Hawke, everything comes down to words.
Jacob Anderson
ANNE RICE'S NOVEL INTERVIEW WITH THE Vampire has a rabid fan base, intensely protective of the story and any adaptations of it.
VOTES OF NO CONFIDENCE
Why recent U.K. election results will ring alarm bells for Joe Biden
BIDEN'S BATTLEGROUND ELECTION
A small number of Democrats PROTESTING the president's support for Israel's war in Gaza could PREVENT him from winning a second term
'It's Time to Treat Addiction Like Cancer'
Both are serious illnesses but, unlike those struggling with substance use disorders, didn’t face shame and stigma when seeking help over my tumors
Could Influencers Survive a Tik Tok Ban?
With some content creators able to make good money from views and brand collaborations on the app, losing access to it could come ata high price
All Welcome, Except Some
A Chinese foreign agent is behind an Asian American parade in New York City with Mayor Eric Adams, but not everyone is invited
America's Maternity Hospitals 2024
The arrival of a healthy baby brings unparalleled joy. It's no wonder that families welcoming their newest members are looking for high-quality health care to ensure a smooth delivery and reliable postpartum care.
THE WEST SHOULD EXERT EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE RUSSIA PAY THE HIGHEST PRICE POSSIBLE FOR ITS AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
RUSSIA'S FULL-SCALE INVASION of Ukraine in February 2022 awakened the worst memories for Georgians.