Machines of Slander and Fears
For sixty years, people have been walking away—from groups, from institutions, and even from one another. Churches, unions, civic clubs, and neighborhood associations—once the backbone of community life—have all thinned out. Groups have walked away from other groups too, retreating into separate worlds of culture, class, and information.
But nature abhors a vacuum. The space once filled with real relationships has been filled instead with fear. Into this vacuum rushed our assumptions about “those people,” amplified by the slander machine of social media.
And not just any slander—slander tailor-made for each of us. The algorithms that feed our screens do not slumber or sleep. They work day and night to keep our attention by showing us what we fear—and more importantly, who we fear. Every angry post, every mocking meme, every rumor that confirms our worst assumptions about another group—it all widens the Great Chasm.
This chasm is mostly in our minds. Yet it now threatens something very real: our flawed but valuable democracy.
We still live side by side. We pass each other in grocery aisles, on the road, at the park. But in our hearts, we are separated by stories of distrust. As Robert Putnam reminds us, the natural social networks that once stitched together American life are no longer there to catch us.
But we have more power than we know.
Rediscovering Our Power
At Paths to Understanding, we’ve seen what happens when people choose connection over assumption. In our Potluck Project, Let’s Go Together groups, and other community efforts, people from very different backgrounds sit down together, share food, and talk. What happens next is simple—and profound.
Fears begin to fade. False assumptions, even those rooted deep in our hearts, start to shift. People recognize each other as human beings.
Across our communities, there are hundreds of thousands of gathering spaces—churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, nonprofits, libraries, book clubs, and community centers. Each one can become a small bridge across the chasm, a place where neighbors rediscover that we’re not enemies, but fellow travelers in this shared experiment of democracy.
When people are divided, rulers can convince us to trade away our rights in the name of protecting ourselves from “them.” But when people meet face to face, fear loses its power. A single honest conversation can do what a thousand online posts cannot: begin to rebuild trust.
The Great Chasm Is a Mirage
The chasm between us looks wide, but it’s mostly made of shadows—fears projected onto one another. When we come together, the mirage dissolves. We see that most people want the same things: safety for their families, a fair chance to work and contribute, a sense of belonging, and a better future for their kids.
We have all the tools we need to heal what’s been broken. The only question is whether we’ll use them.
A Call to Action
At Paths to Understanding, we’re inviting all who care about their communities to act:
- Host a potluck with another group.
- Invite your neighbors from a different background or location.
- Share stories.
- Serve together.
Each time we meet across lines of difference, the Great Chasm shrinks—and democracy grows stronger.
Together, we have far more power than the machines that divide us. A face-to-face conversation is worth more than a thousand posts fueled by fear. Let’s use that power. Let’s make the chasm disappear.
Learn more or download the Potluck Project Toolkit at pathstounderstanding.org/potluck-project