“I don’t really know too many people who don’t look at the situation of last week and aren’t absolutely saddened for his family,” Mellon said, referencing Kirk’s killing. I mean I don’t have to necessarily agree with him politically in order to understand how tragic it is. At its best, or at least in theory, social media can be a tool for transcending differences and communicating across political and other divides. In working together locally, they might also develop personal connections not defined purely by politics and begin to bridge broader divides. … That relationship building is really important, and it’s easier to do that definitely engaging in local-level issues and politics.”