North Texans Lament Divisive National Politics: 'It Takes Me Back To Junior High, High School Days'
GARLAND, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - North Texas Republicans and Democrats may not agree on the issues or President Trump's impeachment by the House and acquittal in the Senate, but there's widespread agreement there's too much animosity and divisiveness in politics.
At Judy's Café in Garland, 10th grader Kylee McMakin and her grandmother Judy McMakin expressed their distaste for the divisive politics served up on Capitol Hill Tuesday night, when during his State of the Union address, President Trump didn't shake Speaker Nancy Pelosi's hand, and later, she ripped up her copy of his speech.
Kylee said, "She didn't have to rip up his speech, he could have been respectful. They both could have been respectful. We're really divided right now, and I feel like that's not how it's supposed to work."
Judy said, "It was just so disappointing to me on both ends only because it just proves how divided we are."
Several booths over, we found Janice and Jack Renfro, who've been married for 57 years.
Janice said there's enough blame to go around. "It takes me back to junior high, high school days. It's sad. I think it's a crying shame with what's going on in both parties."
They're on different sides of the political aisle and while she feels both the Speaker and President are to blame, Jack said he understands the President not shaking the Speaker's hand. "I don't think I would have shook her hand either. I wouldn't
want to give her that pleasure, and so I don't have a problem with that. With her ripping up his speech, very little class, I tell ya."
At Desperado's Mexican restaurant next door, we met Carlos Rosado, a retired U.S. Marine on disability who also served in the Texas Army National Guard. "I felt really bad for her actually but I always think that two wrongs don't make one right. I thought she was wrong also ripping up the paperwork. They both were wrong. As a President, he has to be a leader, show us that we can do it together, we can work together."
Rosado said he's also disappointed the nation is so divided. "Two tours in Iraq. We do it because we love our country. And when we see what's going on, it really hurts."
Only a couple of people we spoke with had ideas how to make politics in Washington D.C. less divisive.
Jack Renfro said lawmakers should use common sense more often, while his wife Janice said she thought the solution would be term limits for members of Congress.
WATCH JACK'S OTHER REPORT ON THIS TOPIC HERE
