The headlines and issues front and center in 2024 have presented complex challenges.
In this year end episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay uses his cold water open swimming to launch an exploration of some of our most vexing questions. He leans into listening, challenging himself to understand more about those across the divide.
Kay hears from some who celebrate a victory, as others fear the days ahead. And, he’s reminded that our nation proclaims fundamental rights and freedoms, while struggling to uphold them equitably. Living through history is how one person describes these divided times.
In a splintered world, listening is one of the last bridges we have toward understanding.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the CRC Foundation.
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Photo Credit: Ed Gabriels
Photo Credit: Ed Gabriels
Video Credit: Amy Eddings
Photo Credit: Deborah Tiberio
“I was on a recent swim when I noticed a house along the lake with a large “Trump 2024” flag that read, “No More Bullsh***.” It unsettled me, disturbing the meditative calm I rely on during my swims. Trump has never been “my guy.” I’ve often criticized his behavior, his dishonesty and his inability to admit wrongdoing. Seeing that flag reminded me of my disappointment that so many Americans have elected to give Donald Trump a second chance in the White House. But as I swam, something shifted. This is not just about frustration; it’s an opportunity — it’s a sign. It’s a call to listen.”
— Trey Kay
Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“And this is research that I’ve been doing recently, looking at how Democrats and Republicans feel about each other on a more radical level. This is based on research people have done in other countries, and one thing we know is that in countries where the political divide is aligned with ethnic or religious divides, the chance of violence increases, which is exactly what’s been happening in the U.S.
In my research, we ask questions like, ‘Do you think that people in the other party are a threat to the United States?’ and ‘Do you agree with the statement that they’re not just wrong in politics, they’re downright evil?’ We even ask whether the other party deserves to be treated as humans or if they behave like animals.
What we found were really high levels of support for these views. In dozens of national surveys since 2017, we have found that 80 percent of American partisans think the other side is a threat to the country, about 50 percent to 60 percent say they’re evil, and about one-third are willing to dehumanize people in the other party.”
— Lilliana Mason
Photo Credit: Bella Lane
“I just felt like there were so many women who were pro–Kamala Harris, and it almost seemed like I encountered the extremist side every time. I thought, ‘I’m not talking to an extremist; I’m not.’ Then there were people who were quiet about it. I felt like the quieter people were more pro–Donald Trump, but they didn’t want to say they were pro-Trump. They kept it to themselves.
I have a friend who has a class at Marshall, and one of his buddies asked him who he voted for, and he said Trump. A girl behind him started yelling at him in class, calling him names and saying he was stupid. I just didn’t want to encounter any of that, so I definitely kept to myself.”
— Bella Lane
Photo Credit: Julie Blackwood
“So, close to the election, we discussed in one of my political science classes what people were expecting. About two days before, I had a feeling that my home state, Michigan, might go to Trump, and it’s one of those important key states. I thought if he won Michigan, he might end up winning the election, so I wasn’t surprised by the outcome.
“However, there were parts of his platform that I was really disappointed to see might be implemented. Neither campaign offered a platform I was excited or optimistic about, especially regarding the Gaza genocide. Trump’s platform was even further from what I wanted. After inauguration, there may be choices I’ll have to grapple with, and I’ll need to figure out how to make my voice heard and support what I believe in, even if the administration doesn’t share those goals.
“I think a lot of people feel disappointment about the direction both parties are going, and I definitely experienced that.”
— Olivia Andrew-Vaughn
Photo Credit: University of Pennsylvania
“[University of Pennsylvania’s student protest] guidelines include, but are not limited to, the requirement that you need two days notice to get permission to hold a demonstration unless you want to do it in a heavily trafficked area, in which case you need two weeks notice. They also include a ban on violent speech and, most astonishing to me as a child in the 1970s, a ban on the use of sidewalk chalk.
I can well imagine that many of the people who support this code — this ban on ‘violent’ speech — believe they’re protecting Jewish voices, because there were expressions of antisemitism on our campus. But every single rule to restrict speech will come back to bite you in the rear end. We’ve discovered that large fractions of our students are afraid to say what they think in class and outside of class.”
— Jonathan Zimmerman
The Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, produces an annual report measuring which American universities foster a climate of free speech. Its 2025 report shows many students are afraid to express their opinions on campus. One West Virginia University (WVU) student said, “I feel as a conservative my opinions are silenced for fear of being called names or assumed homophobic, racist, conspiracy theorist, etc. In class I cannot freely disagree if it goes against the expected norm.”
View FIRE’s 2025 College Free Speech Rankings Report.