Ciaran and John talk about their roads to Braver Angels, the Depolarization Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr., the need for community and how to apply love in politics.
‘Braver Angels really helped me to see the humanity in people from the other side’: One high schooler’s journey to better political conversations
06/18/2026
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A native of Boulder, Colorado, Mia didn’t know many Trump supporters—and she was nervous to engage with them. “I was like, ‘Don’t they hate women? Don’t they hate black people?’” she said. “That was my initial belief because that’s what I had heard about people who voted for Trump.” But she quickly realized she was wrong. During the first Braver Lens session, Mia was able to connect with conservatives in the group and recognize their points of commonality. “When we met, they showed their pictures, and explained their life stories, and I was able to see where our values overlap,” she said.
1 thought on “The Braver Angels Way”
The physicality of angels is the spirituality of the only thing US citizens have in common: the original constitution. It’s poorly written, but the context in which it was written provides hind sight and vision. The declaration of Independence warns of despotism and Articles of Confederation describe a confederacy for the Constitution to improve upon. Without this foundation, the Constitution lacks integrity. Hence, we have yet to free ourselves of Britannic polity and ordain the original constitution supreme; build consensus in agreement with its intents to improve the union and establish justice, and its purposes: ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure these blessings of liberty.
The words, secure the blessing were written before the first amendments. Therefore the must refer to something other than the so-called bill of rights. Tranquility is a blessing. Heart to defend our common ground is a blessing. Equitable well-being, equality, is a blessing. Tranquility, heart and equality are the essential blessings of liberty. When secured the union will be improved and justice will be established.