‘Iowa Nice’ becomes ‘Iowa Hostile’

Recently, Chris Gloninger, chief meteorologist of KCCI in Des Moines resigned, citing mounting harassment and even death threats resulting from his linking changes in Iowa weather patterns to human-driven changes in our global climate.

Never mind that Mr. Gloninger’s reporting was rooted in tens of thousands of published scientific studies and near-unanimous consensus among the world’s climate scientists. Instead, let’s focus on the extreme intolerance and vitriol with which it was met, increasingly the new normal in Iowa and throughout the country.

How did “Iowa nice” become “Iowa hostile?”

Iowans have always held opposing opinions on political and social issues. But up until the last few decades, those differences did not negate our fundamental respect for one another. After all, in spite of our disagreements, we were all still Iowans.

So what happened? How did the regard for our shared values — family, God, and country — devolve into death threats? And, perhaps more importantly, what can we do to turn back the clock?

We might ask two less obvious questions: Who benefits from our ever-intensifying political divisions and loss of civility? And what do they gain?

As for who benefits, the most obvious answer is mercenary media and power-hungry politicians. As for what they gain, the simple answers are, respectively, money and power.

“News” media, including cable channels, know that viewership translates into advertising profits. Following in the footsteps of master-provocateur Rush Limbaugh, some of these outlets have decided that the most effective way to grow and maintain their audience is to fan the flames of political tribalism and “fear of the other.” The more these media can invoke enmity for those with opposing views, the more money they make. Plain and simple. Oh, they’ll pretend to care about protecting us from the growing threat of the “enemy within who is out to destroy America,” meanwhile raking in hundreds of millions of dollars in profits at the expense of our shared goodwill.

Then there are those power hungry politicians who have mastered the art of divide and conquer. They know painting our differences in the most antagonistic, bellicose terms is the surest way to capture the allegiance of their bases. Think the “Two Minutes of Hate,” from George Orwell’s 1984, where people were assembled to vent their fury toward political opponents.

Did these self-interested financial and political forces create our capacity for fear and hatred? Of course not. Do they intentionally pander to and exploit our darkest, most primitive nature? Absolutely!

Is there a way back to “Iowa nice?” Here’s a first step. The next time you’re listening to a politician or “news” station using language meant to invoke fear, anger, distrust and division, ask yourself, “Who’s the real enemy here?” Your fellow citizens who care as sincerely and deeply for our nation as you do, but who happen to embrace different views? Or is it the unscrupulous profiteers and political carpetbaggers who are more than willing to sacrifice not just “nice,” but the strength of our democracy, for their selfish gain?

United we stand. Divided we fall.

Jonas Magram lives in Fairfield.