Braver Angels Sacramento

10/23/2024

Really enjoyed this article from Minnesota Public Radio who picked up our "Walk a Mile in My News" program, adapted it for their listening audience and found such encouraging results for all Americans!

This election season, MPR News invited its audience to learn more about people on the other side of the political spectrum through an initiative called “Walk a Mile in My News.” Two of our participants, a Democrat and a Republican, swapped their go-to news sources and then let us record their co...

03/19/2024

https://www.thefp.com/p/introducing-ben-meets-america?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=260347&post_id=142711296&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=a41i&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

Our correspondent sets out across the country to find out why we’re so divided. What he discovers might surprise you. Introducing: Ben Meets America!

03/08/2024

I am no longer with Braver Angels. Benita Bollinger.

08/12/2023

05/16/2023

https://www.mtdemocrat.com/prospecting/depolarizing-within-workshop-registration-open/

Tired of the toxic divides tearing families and communities apart? If so, you could be a part of what some are calling America’s “exhausted majority.” And like so many other Americans, you might be looking for a way out. To that end, Bridging Divides-El Dorado, a new initiative sponsored by th

04/24/2023

https://insidesacramento.com/conduct-unbecoming/
"Many of my neighbors have said they won’t participate in City Council meetings due to the vitriol and intimidation. On Zoom, some people use pseudonyms to avoid backlash or verbal abuse.

The ability to “agree to disagree” no longer exists..."

When I joined the City Council in 2015, our public meetings were relatively benign. There was some tension over subsidizing Golden 1 Center. The city’s contribution to the Jeff Koons art piece “Piglet” caused a stir. Relatively easy stuff to work through. Then in 2018, with the Sacramento Poli...

04/20/2023

"The tribalist sees the world through zero-sum eyes believing their neediness can be satisfied when the needs of others are sacrificed. As tribal hatreds are instilled, everyone suffers in a lose-lose world. The more tribalists suffer, the more they are sure the other tribe is to blame."

In his latest book, 'The Call of the Tribe,' Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa explores the destructive nature of the tribal mindset.

04/17/2023

University of Chicago declares: the “university’s fundamental commitment is to the principle that debate or deliberation may not be suppressed because the ideas put forth are thought by some or even by most members of the university community to be offensive, unwise, immoral or wrongheaded.” A version of the Chicago statement has been adopted by almost 100 colleges, universities and state university systems.

Universities are pushing back against attacks on academic freedom.

03/29/2023

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education polled 37,000 students at 159 campuses; 23% said they believe violence is justified against unwanted speech.

I was supposed to speak at Furman University. I decided to beg off rather than indulge an angry mob.

07/31/2022

After the reversal of Roe v. Wade, can "We the People" find common ground on abortion? And might the experiences of everyday Americans -- pro-life, pro-choice, somewhere in between -- help us to move forward on this challenging issue?

We'll explore these questions and possible solutions with a fascinating lineup of first speakers and with participants.

Everyone is invited- please register at the link below for this bridge-building conversation, next Monday, August 8th, at 5pm Pacific via Zoom.

Braver Angels is a citizen's organization that brings Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic. We the People's Forum is a Braver Angels event where everyday Americans get time at the podium. We hear from people who are often spoken of, but rarely spoken with, on the most important issues of the day.

Where everyday Americans get time at the podium.