All About Brett Kavanaugh
As the legislative branch has slowly ceded more and more power to the judicial branch, the highest court in the land has increasingly become a political battleground.
‘Better Angels’ hold workshop
by Elisabeth Robbins, Better Angels Moderator Daily Democrat Can seven progressives and six conservatives get together for a day of talking about their political beliefs without anger and explosiveness? When
‘Better Angels’ hold workshop
Daily Democrat // Can seven progressives and six conservatives get together for a day of talking about their political beliefs without anger and explosiveness?
Slowly Bridging Our Partisan Divide
RealClearPolitics // It’s a rainy, muggy day in Leesburg, Va. Although the town is 30 or so miles from the interminable partisan wrangling in Washington, D.C., it’s infected with some of the same bitter polarization—as is so much of the country.
America’s Anger Paradox
Elissa Slotkin, a candidate for Congress, assumed voters would be most interested in her position on the issues. What she discovered was that they are even more interested in finding a way to return to civility in politics.
Red and blues depolarize at Better Angels workshop
Gettysburg Times // Two dozen area residents spent Saturday at the Gettysburg library engaged in efforts to help “depolarize” American society.
Red and blues depolarize at Better Angels workshop Read More »
Red and blues depolarize at Better Angels workshop
Gettysburg Times // Two dozen area residents spent Saturday at the Gettysburg library engaged in efforts to help “depolarize” American society.
Red and blues depolarize at Better Angels workshop Read More »
Likeability
A term popping up in the pundit chatter that is conspicuous in its refreshing banality: “Likeability.”
Why is it that US polarization is actually a worldwide phenomenon?
A great deal of prime-time TV shows dominating popular culture today are, in fact, international television formats. Competitive shows like The Four, Got Talent, Idol, American Ninja, Master Chef (the
Why is it that US polarization is actually a worldwide phenomenon? Read More »
It’s About Power
Polarization cuts across party lines because polarization is not about ideology, it’s about power.
Narrowing the Focus
Instead of taking the broad view and looking at blue and red headlines across many sources, I thought it would be fun to narrow the focus.
How to Respond Effectively
Instead of comparing examples of polarization, we’ll look at an article by New York Times opinion writer Margaret Renki that addresses one of the trickier problems of polarization.
The July Political “Debate”
Can the language of reasonable, respectful, even if passionate, disagreement find a place in this environment?
In Pursuit of Our Political ‘Better Angels’
Yorktown NY New // Sadly, since the 2016 election, and increasingly as well in the years leading up to 2016, politicians and some media have pushed the political arguments to the margins where it is impossible to find middle ground and any hope for agreement between the political divide.
Better Angels group puts Democrats and Republicans, Trump supporters and immigrants, in the same room to listen to each other
ABC News // One of the principle rules is not to get anyone to abandon their core beliefs.
Past partisanship: Arkansas Better Angels take flight
The Democrat-Gazette // It has become increasingly apparent that our country is now so sharply divided between political parties and philosophies that we risk a level of polarization that threatens our democracy.
Past partisanship: Arkansas Better Angels take flight Read More »
Civility vs. Incivility
Civility is the language of resolving disagreement in a free society, much as the process of law is the language of seeking justice in a fair society.
A Trump Supporter and a Black Lives Matter Activist Discuss Policing and Racial Justice
Ciaran and John host a lively Better Angels discussion between Hawk Newsome, the head of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, and Greg Smith, a Trump supporter and former police
A Trump Supporter and a Black Lives Matter Activist Discuss Policing and Racial Justice Read More »
“Better Angels” Offers An Alternative At a Time of “Deep Political Division”
Town Topics // I’m sure that most people would agree that our recent civil and political discourse in America has degraded to the point where some folks are actually advocating for violence. The too-often unasked question is: What to do about it?
“Better Angels” Offers An Alternative At a Time of “Deep Political Division” Read More »
Not Just Talking About Bridging the Divide
The Vineyard Gazette // The day after the Fourth of July, Hawk Newsome, leader of the Black Lives Matter movement in Greater New York, addressed a crowd gathered at Union Chapel for a symposium entitled Keeping Democracy Alive: Understanding What Divides Us and What Binds Us.
Finding our better angels in divided times
Mennonite World Review // Who hasn’t known relationships torn apart over divisive politics? Churches, families and businesses all know the tension that can accompany political discussions, especially in recent years.
The Techniques of Polarization
As we were supposed to be celebrating the birthday of our nation, all the techniques of polarization that undermine the democratic process were there in shameful abundance.
The Media’s Biggest Bias
What’s the news media’s biggest bias? If you’re a Trump supporter, you might say it’s assuming collusion with Russia behind every presidential move. For a non-Trump conservative, maybe you see
“Better Angels” movement attempts to bridge political gaps
Franklin Home Page // The last presidential election only made clear what many have feared: that we’re becoming two Americas, each angry with the other, and neither trusting the other’s basic humanity and good intentions.
“Better Angels” movement attempts to bridge political gaps Read More »
Better Angels Convention
Charles Gupton Productions, 7/3/2018 This film captures the sentiments of the delegates of Better Angels, an organization focused on bringing together Americans from both sides of the political debate, as
Clear Patterns
Looking over the June highlights, certain patterns may not be obvious, but are actually clear.
We’ve hit a new low
Political discourse has slipped from disagreement to insult to profanity to physical action.
Finding Common Ground in Ohio
Braver Angels set out to southwestern Ohio to bring local Democrats and Republicans together for a weekend of discussion in the wake of the 2016 Election. This is their story.
Finding Our Better Angels
Daily News-Record // A year ago, I was a stovepiped blue looking for reds, any reds, to attend a Braver Angels Red/Blue workshop designed to bring conservatives and liberals together to listen to and learn about each other.