Scenes from the Culture War by Steven Hayward Current public opinion polling data is raising eyebrows in political circles, suggesting that the next phase of political debate, culminating in the presidential election next year, is going to be more bitter and nasty than usual. It is virtually unprecedented for a majority of the public to think the nation is on the wrong track when the economy is booming as it is now.
Pollsters say the public is deeply disturbed about the moral and cultural condition of the nation.
The Columbine school shooting provided an acute focus for this concern. Columbine promises to stick uneasily in our memory for a long time. The cultural split that has appeared in the aftermath of Columbine has been a subject of widespread comment. Liberals have pressed for stronger gun control laws. Even if such laws only make a marginal difference, liberals argue with a tiny amount of plausibility, a marginal difference translates into a few saved lives.