By Isadora Rangel, Florida Today
“Civility is the hard work of staying present even with those with whom we have deep-rooted and fierce disagreements.”
That definition of civility by The Institute for Civility in Government stuck with me when I was doing research before launching FLORIDA TODAY’s Civility Brevard project in March.
How do we stay present in political conversations with our loved ones when the other side seems to have values so opposed to what we believe is right?
The more I was able to productively disagree with people, the more I realized that I didn’t need them to agree with me in order for me to be okay. I found strength and peace in myself that left me feeling more empowered, even when the world felt scary and out of control.
The civic philosophies of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. echo in the work of Braver Angels.
If in the midst of this tragedy, the people of Los Angeles, and all America for that matter, are given cause to remember how precious we are to one another, then something will have been gained in this.
