The past week has seen examples of some of the meanest and most pathological aspects of American culture in spades. Between vocal Penn Staters who prize their beloved football program above their humanity; violent attacks on LGBT people that took place in Nebraska and in Washington, D.C.; and the rush to excoriate parents who take children to movies in the wake of the Aurora killings, I hardly know where to begin. So I will just start here: None of these things happened in a political vacuum.

Continue reading →