Why Americans Are So Worked Up

Guest: Jacob Hickman, PhD, Professor of Anthropology at BYU  Donald Trump has been criticized for incidents of violence against protesters and the press at a number of his rallies. Trump says he doesn’t condone violence, and blames protesters for being so “dangerous” they need to be controlled or ejected.  We’ve heard recently on Top of Mind how 2015 saw an increase in hate group participation, fueled partly by angry political rhetoric. There was also a rise in anti-government groups like the militia that occupied a wildlife refuge in Oregon for more than a month. Hateful threats against Muslims are increasing, too. Experts say the anger is driven by lots of things—including a sense of economic disenfranchisement, toxic political partisanship and the fear that terrorism is an increasing threat in our communities.