Like many of us, you may have approached Thanksgiving with trepidation this year. Family gatherings can always be fraught with drama, but this year’s election provided extra ammunition for political arguments.
Did you defend your views against opinionated relatives? Or did you dodge contentious discussions, conveniently excusing yourself for another slice of pie? Personally, I planned to play dodgeball and rehearsed ways to change the subject if hot-button topics arose.
Fortunately, things went smoothly for my family, but the winter holidays are around the corner, so I thought a bit of civic guidance was in order. I turned to Carl Luna, director for the Institute for Civil Civic Engagement and a visiting professor of political science at the University of San Diego.
We talked about how individuals and communities can respectfully approach differences and maintain shared democratic values. And we discussed what happens if fiery political disputes become more than a family matter and progress to civil unrest.
It’s Winter, So Chill Out
Luna’s first tip was to cool down the temperature of political discourse. Elections bring out heated rhetoric, so now it’s time to take a break.
“First, put it all on the back burner until January,” Luna said. “Try to recharge and use the holidays to rebuild friendships across political divides. Don’t talk about politics. Talk about Christmas shows and how much you all hate fruitcake.”
That’s not just an exercise in small talk, he said. Finding common ground helps keep communities on a peaceful footing.
“The biggest danger we face is for groups of us to start dehumanizing the other side,” Luna said.
Some people feel a false sense of “righteousness” for harassing or attacking those they disagree with, he warned. But working together on issues that most of us agree on – whether it’s filling potholes or fighting homelessness – can bridge differences.
“Go to a church that you don’t normally go to,” Luna said. “Go to a library that you don’t normally go to. Read newspapers or news sources you don’t normally read. Try to figure out what other people are thinking. Try to find some community project that you can all work on that everybody can support.”
What Happens After That?
Christmas cheer and community spirit can relieve political tensions, but it won’t dispel them. There’s an ideological gap between the political right and left, and between the incoming Trump administration and California leadership.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers fought Trump’s policies in his first term, and they’re ready for round two. Newsom dedicated $25 million to help state Attorney General Rob Bonta litigate future disputes. And lawmakers are gearing up to thwart federal efforts to peel back reproductive rights, cut school funds and round up immigrants.
It’s not just a state matter. Local mayors, supervisors, city council members and school board trustees will confront changes to federal laws and funding.
“Every municipal leader should have a plan,” starting with a legal strategy, Luna said.
San Diego largely stayed out of the federal fray in Trump’s first term, but we’re uniquely vulnerable to border disputes.
Trump has pledged to deport more than 10 million immigrants starting on day one of his term. He may revoke rules that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from arresting undocumented people at houses of worship, schools and hospitals or events such as funerals, weddings and public demonstrations, NBC News reported this week.
Worst Case Scenarios
Once that operation starts, it could escalate in several ways. Local leaders could refuse to aid the effort, leading to a stand down with federal authorities. Activists could protest deportations, prompting Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act and order the military to dispel demonstrators.
In another scenario there might be vigilante attacks against elected leaders, prompted by violent rhetoric from extremist politicians or pundits. Luna and his colleague Rachel Locke with the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice surveyed elected officials in San Diego and found that three-quarters of them had experienced threats or harassment and nearly half said that happens monthly. If that escalates to physical attacks, it would signal a broader societal breakdown, Luna said.
“If there is local violence, we as a community, every leader has to come together to condemn it and embrace the people who are victims of it,” he said. “You just don’t tolerate it. Otherwise, you’re complicit.”
Community members also need to ask themselves what they’ll do to make sure political conflicts don’t escalate.
“That’s my homework assignment for San Diego,” Luna said. “After the holidays, have that personal conversation with yourself, what is the line that you would not cross?”
Paloma Aguirre Elected Vice Chair of Coastal Commission
California Coastal Commissioners elected Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre to serve as vice chair of the 15-member board Wednesday, the commission announced. Aguirre was appointed to the Commission in 2023 to represent the San Diego region.
Aguirre holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of San Diego and a Master of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She spent more than a decade working for the environmental group WILDCOAST, fighting border pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.
She became the first Latina councilmember in Imperial Beach in 2018 and was elected mayor in 2022. She has been a leader in efforts to clean up cross-border sewage pollution.
San Diego County Tightens Rules for Battery Storage
Last month I wrote about how state assembly members are trying to cut red tape on permits for battery storage facilities, to speed up California’s transition to renewable energy.
But San Diego County is putting the brakes on that effort, after several battery storage fires broke out in our region over the past year. Our MacKenzie Elmer reports that San Diego County Fire Chief Tony Mecham imposed stricter rules for battery storage sites until California updates its fire code for the facilities.
The Sacramento Report runs every Friday and is part of a partnership with CalMatters. Do you have tips, ideas or questions? Send them to me at deborah@voiceofsandiego.org