Breaking down divisions
The problem of divisiveness in the U.S. has grabbed many headlines in recent months, and it can seem like nobody is trying to turn the tide. But some groups are.
A stone wall runs alongside River Road in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
The problem of divisiveness in the U.S. has grabbed many headlines in recent months, and it can seem like nobody is trying to turn the tide. But some groups are.
Braver Angels is one of those organizations, and it was heartening to see this recent CBS report about their work, which speaks about how they're trying to bridge the current political divide by providing opportunities for constructive dialogue between those who disagree. As described on their website, this national nonprofit aims "to bring liberals and conservatives together at the grassroots level — not to find centrist compromise, but to find one another as citizens. Through workshops, debates, and campus engagement, Braver Angels helps Americans understand each other beyond stereotypes, form community alliances, and reduce the vitriol that poisons our civic culture."
That vitriol has led to automatic demonization of the opposing party, and, for some, strong criticism of any effort to bridge the political divide. As mentioned in the CBS segment, the Pew Research Center recently found that 9 out of 10 registered voters believe that a victory by the opposition would do "lasting harm" to America.
However, Bill Doherty, a co-founder of Braver Angels, is hopeful that some are realizing this is an unsustainable pattern for the country.
"I think people are starting to realize we can't go on this way," Doherty told CBS. "I have hope that we're going to wake up and see divisiveness and polarization as our enemy, not people on the other political side."
It's clear that increasing divisiveness and declining compassion for people we disagree with is not a recipe for progress. In fact, it's a recipe for the exact opposite. To truly move forward as a country, we must work to understand each other "beyond stereotypes" and relate to each other as people first.
In an ideal world, this work could be accomplished without being concerned about which political side someone occupied. That said, this is the place we find ourselves in today. Hopefully, groups such as Braver Angels can build alliances that help people work together for a better, more unified nation. If we look beyond our own comfortable silos, where the things we agree with reverberate back to us, we may surprise ourselves with how well we can relate to some of the folks we call "the other side." Making progress together as an entire country will be extraordinarily challenging. But we have to try, and I believe that, after many hurdles, this perseverance will do great good.
— Gareth Henderson