Plus: A new analysis ranked the top states in America for hiking, and Utah placed in the top 10.
| E pluribus disunion: A conversation with scholars and commentators reveals a low point in an American ideal and signs of recovery |
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From the beginning of the American experiment, it has been messy trying to attain the pluralistic ideal outlined in the nation's founding documents. Deseret Magazine executive editor Hal Boyd invited four leaders in the legal, religious, academic and media arenas to discuss whether the nation has reached a low point in division that poses a unique challenge to pluralism and what we can do about it. Here are some highlights from their conversation: Is America uniquely divided today or not? "The good feelings about race relations that were held by the majority of Black and white Americans and Hispanic Americans 20 years ago didn’t start changing until 2013. ... That’s when a critical mass of people had smartphones and social media and that led to a different way of consuming information, which led to a kind of pessimistic view of race relations," said Coleman Hughes, a writer and podcast host. "Social media has given people a misperception of how bad things are in the country."
At times religion is cast in a light of discouraging unity, but what role can faith play in fostering pluralism? "Religion helps us to navigate our divides and cultivate pluralism. Certainly, I think it is a big issue right now and a topic of a lot of discussion in religious liberty circles is the ability to express dissent, which is becoming harder and harder," said Asma Uddin, a visiting professor of law at Catholic University of America.
What can the person listening to or reading this do to preserve these ideals or pluralism and democracy? "They can help build our public institutions. They can go to churches, they can go to community organizations, help do homeless work, refugee work. These are the types of institutions that help people of different faiths and different beliefs and ideological groups come together and build a country like America," said Shima Baradaran Baughman, an associate dean of the University of Utah College of Law. |
Read what these experts had to say about topics ranging from cancel culture in universities to the media's role in stoking division. |
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A new analysis ranked the top states in America for hiking, and Utah placed in the top 10. Connecticut claimed the top spot with a Hiking Index Score of 73.98 out of 100, while Massachusetts ranked No. 2 and Hawaii was No. 3. Utah came in ninth. The five factors the travel experts analyzed include: Number of hiking trails relative to state area. Number of waterfalls relative to state area. Percentage of the state covered by national and state parks. Average yearly temperature. Average yearly rainfall. According to the rankings, Utah offers 87 hiking trails per 1,000 square miles and has the third-lowest annual rainfall. Read more about the analysis and where to find Utah's "hidden gems." |
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