Democratic Connecticut Senator Christopher Murphy has been spending the last several months talking about an unusual subject for a politician: loneliness.
"If democracy can't deliver on the disconnection and disaffection that Americans feel, they're going to give up on democracy," Murphy tells Newsweek. "Some demagogue, much more effective than Donald Trump, will come along and pick up on all of this anxiety and disaffection and disconnection and channel it into a political movement that will overturn democracy." Murphy was the congressman representing the Connecticut district containing Sandy Hook at the time of the 2012 school massacre there. Last year, in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, Murphy-an ardent gun control advocate with an F rating from the National Rifle Association was one of the Senate sponsors of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
The measure, which, among other things, provides more funding for mental health programs and tightens some existing gun restrictions, was the first gun control bill to make it through Congress in decades and was signed into law by President Joe Biden in June.
Murphy says the experience proved that if Republicans and Democrats were frozen in place on most gun legislation, there were still some things they could agree on. That, he tells Newsweek, spurred him to try to reframe the political discussions about polarization and violence in America. Last December he wrote an article for The Bulwark, a conservative anti-Trump website, entitled the "The Politics of Loneliness," where he warned "social isolation threatens devastating consequences for the social fabric of our nation."
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Next Phase of War
After thousands of elite soldiers from North Korea joined Vladimir Putin’s forces against Ukraine, how has this latest move affected the conflict?
Saying No to Trump and Men
The election has led some women to boycott relationships and sex
My Fight for Equality and Justice
It will take more than just science to end AIDS. Inclusion, empathy and compassion are essential, too
NEW WORLD ORDER
HOW LEADERS ACROSS THE GLOBE ARE REACTING TO DONALD TRUMP'S REELECTION AS U.S. PRESIDENT
America's Best CONTINUING CARE
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, RESTAURANTstyle dining, unlimited pickleball-an impressive number of amenities are becoming standard at Continuing Care Retirement Communities.
Hey, Don't Be So SAD
Seasonal affective disorder affects millions of people. Here’s how you can prep your body and mind for darker days
Wendi McLendon-Covey
AFTER 10 YEARS OF PLAYING BEVERLY GOLDBERG ON THE GOLDBERGS, Wendi McLendon-Covey was not eager for a break. \"I need to go do a job where I can just throw everything at it and then come home totally exhausted.\"
'I'm the Highest Earner in Esports'
Johan \"NOtail\" Sundstein has won over $7 million but says, \"I don't really crave that status.... I play for my own reasons\"
AMERICA'S BEST Weight Loss CLINICS & CENTERS 2025
WHETHER IT'S FOR MEAL PLANS, PROFESSIONAL guidance or access to medications like GLP-1s, weight loss clinics can offer personalized assistance for those hoping to make sustainable lifestyle changes.
AMERICA'S MOST ANTICIPATED NEW VEHICAL 2025
WHETHER IT'S A NEWLY IMAGined sport utility vehicle or the re-emergence of a highly regarded halo car, the vehicles coming to market in 2025 prove that Americans' attitudes about personal transportation are diverse and are being served from all angles.