If we want to stop feeling separate from each other the athletes of Special Olympics can help us to understand the sources of division, and to find solutions to it.
Eric Robert Stag, 19, of Anne Arundel County, Md., throws his arms in the air after winning a first-place ribbon in the 100 meter run in the Maryland Special Olympics, held at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis on April 28. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
"Today, most Americans have concluded that there is a group that is just too 'other' to deserve respect or inclusion. For many, it’s Trump voters. For others, it’s liberal elites. For others, it’s certain people of faith or people of color. The pattern is familiar. Some person or group has a quality, characteristic or belief that provokes a judgment so extreme it cannot be tolerated. 'They' don’t deserve our respect or welcome. Therefore, they are hopeless, of no value. We must defeat, fix or crush them.
"Special Olympics can’t solve the political or cultural challenges of our time, but it can offer some lessons worth learning."
Article: To Heal Our Divisions, Listen to People With Intellectual Disabilities