Joyce Fegan: How will we recover from Donald Trump?

"Imagine, if like alcohol, we gave up social media for a month. What could we turn all that profitable attention to? We could combat climate change or help a neighbour instead of posting conspiracy theories on Facebook"

President Donald Trump tours an area Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, damaged during demonstrations after a police officer shot Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In a coffee shop in a village in the west of Ireland there is a sign that reads: “Please do not verbally abuse our staff.”

Who in their right mind thinks that it is acceptable to abuse teenagers serving tea, coffee and sandwiches in a pandemic? How did this sign become necessary? What are we, as a people, like in 2020? And have things gotten very vitriolic?