- Following an attempted assassination of Former President Donald Trump Saturday, neighbors in Leon County are pushing for change.
- The Tallahassee League of Women Voters and The Village Square are asking leaders and voters to tone down on rhetoric.
- Watch the video to hear how one area leader says he has witnessed the polarization first-hand.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Neighbor Trish Neely said she has seen the political climate grow more tense over the years.
"You have to go back 6 years and then come forward," Neely said. "And every year, it seems like it has just gotten worse."
She is the president of the Tallahassee League of Women Voters.
Neely said voters are tired of fiery rhetoric from both sides of the isle.
"It's no wonder we're so polarized," Neely said.
Polarization that some leaders in my Northeast Tallahassee neighborhood said they have noticed.
Commissioner Brian Welch said he's experienced it first hand.
"I've experienced all kinds of mean-spirited interactions, mail sent to my house, people confronting me publicly about issues," Welch explained.
He said it's time to come together.
"We are all Americans. We have way more in common than indifferent," Welch said. "If we could just look at everything and each other through that lens, we will be a better country and community for it."
A group trying to focus that lens: The Village Square.
It's an organization that hosts leaders and voters for tolerant and meaningful debate about policy and viewpoints.
Director of strategy Kate Kile said this weekend's assassination attempt is just the tip of the iceberg.
"I wish I could say it surprised me, but we have seen in recent years a rising temperature in political rhetoric," Kile said.
That's why she said neighbors need to listen to each other and take rhetoric out of the equation.
"Disagreement can make for good conversation and a good time," Kile said. "It's not something necessarily that needs to tear us apart."
Neely said organizations like The Village Square are what we need right now to unify our community and country.
"It's a trend that can be broken," Neely said. "We can get back to being civil again, and that's what we need to be doing."
