By Laura Place, Lynden Tribune
WHATCOM — Over the past three years, residents of Whatcom County have attempted to bring citizens of differing political opinions together to find common ground. They are working through a national organization called Braver Angels, a name based on Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 inaugural speech in which he called on Americans to embrace the “braver angels” of their nature in coming together. But the Civil War was about to happen.
Braver Angels seeks to find common ground in the midst of a politically polarized society today. The organization formed after the 2016 elections, Whatcom County group founder Edie Norton of Bellingham said.
“This national program began in the East and Midwest right after the 2016 elections, when it became apparent how polarized things were,” Norton said.
The small Whatcom County Braver Angels group formed in 2017, with the help of Norton and one other organizer, who has since moved to Seattle. One main focus of the group is gathering both “red” (conservative) and “blue” (liberal) members in order to not have one dominant set of voices in the room.
