Passover, Easter and the Quest for the Self
Braver Angels Weekend Newsletter from April 04, 2021
Reports from organizers, members and volunteers across the country
Braver Angels Weekend Newsletter from April 04, 2021
Braver Angels Weekend Newsletter from March 28, 2021
After two nights of competing to share the most outrageous Trump news, I made a request that we not talk about Trump, so that we could instead learn about each other. At first there was silence. Then some nods. They agreed. And over the course of the week we ended up laughing, crying, and feeling inspired by the personal stories we shared.
As I reflect on my inner voices, I’m struck that my liberal voice is egotistical, and my conservative voice is defensive. I note that the liberal voice argues from a feeling of intellectual superiority, and the conservative from a sense of moral superiority. It strikes me that the two voices talk past each other. Morality and knowledge are pitted against each other. That should not be.
In early February, Braver Angels president David Blankenhorn was delighted to received word that the organization was selected for the 2020 Warren Knight Distinguished Service Award, an annual award bestowed each year by the JAMS Foundation.
Participants and observers in a Braver Angels workshop, focused on abortion, in Grants Pass, Oregon reflect on their experience and the influence of Braver Angels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWK3v_SNie8&
Last Wednesday, almost 350 Better Angels members tuned in to the April BA member meeting, where a well-kept secret was finally revealed. But before the big announcement, a special guest …
Dispatch: Some Thoughts from David Sable, and a Big Announcement for Braver Angels Read More »
She was showing me how to open her door. I was going to house-sit, and there was something glitchy about the deadbolt that had to be done just right. “Like …
Dispatch: Finding Middle Ground in Divided Times Read More »
It was after dinner – sometime during the mid-1970s. I was dancing around the living room when our telephone rang. My mom answered the call, which happened to be from …
This Thanksgiving: Stay Curious and Kind, but Not Silent Read More »
A year ago today, Christine Blasey Ford went public with a sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. I can’t recall in my lifetime a controversy steeped in …
By an anonymous Braver Angels Member and Trump Supporter Ever since the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, the word “nationalism” has become connected to domestic terrorism. It is …
Dispatch: Economic Nationalism Can Help Fight Social Breakdown Read More »
What’s the number one problem facing our country? In an October 2018 poll by the Pew Research Center, the most popular choices included health care, ethics in government, drug addiction, …
Political polarization has seemingly reached a boiling point. The last few years have given us a congressman shot at a pickup softball game, politicians and figures in the media receiving …
Dispatch: To Decrease Polarization More People Need to “Come Out” Read More »
By Joaquin Munoz I have been a Braver Angels moderator since the fall of 2017, when I trained under Bill Doherty to learn how I could help depolarize America. As …
Dispatch- Employing BA Methods in the University Classroom Read More »
Editor’s Note: This is adapted from one of Mr. Baker’s Facebook statuses, reprinted here with his permission. Mr. Baker is a member of the board of Braver Angels. My experience …
I love John Wood. He’s become one of my best friends, conservative or liberal, within Braver Angels. If he decides in the future to run again for public office as …
The social media landscape may be the Wild West of political conversation. But if we have some basic ground rules, and make an effort to bring our best selves to the discussion, it’s possible to raise the level of our discourse, and maybe provide an example that can start to move the needle—just a little bit—in the larger online conversation.
With your help, we can turn the passion our California activists and staff have into results on the ground, and help bolster the influence of an organization that we all love.
Why did discussion of a principle we all agreed with (non-violence) wind up polarizing us?
Molid, my Lyft driver, emanated an electric gratitude for life and all its blessings and his story reminded me of what is possible.
Greetings from the social media desk as I, the lead social media manager for Braver Angels, step out from behind the pixelated curtain to write a quick dispatch.
Here’s what our vision is for how to grow our Alliance moving forward.
I joined Braver Angels to help depolarize America – to help America. I am finding that in the process I am expanding my circle of friends – some red, some blue – and that is a real “Better Angles” benefit – that benefits me as much as benefits America.
A little walk in the woods in America’s National Parks could help remind us what we’re here for.
Why Hold a Different Kind of Braver Angels Event?
The Holidays are stressful enough with busyness, gift buying, and too much family togetherness. But now many families are divided into red and blue political camps. Get these tips for avoiding melt downs during the Holidays.
Goals for these Conversations You learn about the perspectives, feelings, and experiences of someone you care about who differs from you politically. You have a sense of satisfaction about how …
Better Angels co-founder Bill Doherty, in a talk to students and faculty at the University of Minnesota in Rochester, teaches and demonstrates how to talk with people who differ from …
Skills for Communicating Across the Political Divide Read More »
How to Stop a Thanksgiving Dinner Debacle Group conversations are like water: they run downhill—at the speed of the most argumentative or agitated family member. Here are ways to head …
Better Angels Skills for Thanksgiving Conversations Read More »