Hundreds gather at Gettysburg College to bridge political divides through constructive conversations

• Robby Brod
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  Robby Brod was the Democracy Beat reporter for WITF.

This story is part of WITF’s partnership with America Amplified, using community engagement to inform and strengthen local, regional, and national journalism. America Amplified is a public media initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The interviews were recorded using WITF’s mobile listening lab, created with funds from an America Amplified grant.

As Americans remain deeply divided on political issues, a group called Braver Angels aims to mend partisan divides by teaching people ways to have constructive and respectful conversations across political differences. 

Braver Angels’ national convention last week in Gettysburg drew people from across the country. The organization asks members to say whether they lean to the political right, left, or center. They came together for three days, attending workshops, participating in debates, and learning strategies to better understand each other across party lines.

On Friday, in the Gettysburg College student union between the last afternoon sessions and dinner, 15 people who lean red, blue, or center (represented with yellow) took turns sharing some of their challenges and breakthroughs.

Here is an edited transcript of some of those conversations:   

We first asked why they think Americans have difficulties talking about politics.

Emily: “Emily Green, 23, and I’m from Phoenix, Arizona. I think, honestly, not assuming the best in people. I think a lot of people hear somebody say something that might be true from their perspective and then they just assume the worst… maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt and that person isn’t the stereotype that I already assumed them to be.”

Hailee: “My name is Hailee Addison, and I am 22. And I’m from Ogdensburg, New York, which is very far upstate New York. I also think pride gets in the way a lot of the time. People just aren’t willing to maybe have their opinion changed on certain things, because I know when I started this work, I had a completely different view on politics than what I do now, and that’s literally just from talking to other people who have different viewpoints than me.”

Eric: “Eric Hamilton, from Malibu, California. (I’m) 69. I’m discouraged by the level of social media polarization, how much money is being made by driving people apart. I’m known in my family for completely avoiding political conversations, and that’s because the conditions of conversation are so distorted and so skewed that we do more damage. And so I stay away from them.”

Seni: “My name is Seni Penitani. I’m a Pacific Islander. I live in Utah. (I’m) 57. The last two years or so, I experienced the division, even among us Pacific Islanders back in Utah. The hate speech – especially during the election time – conversing with someone with a different political perspective, I tend to interrupt or try to be argumentative, defensive. So, the conversation [is] almost like where we ended up, when it comes to politics, is silence.”

We wanted to hear about situations in their lives that could be improved through civil discourse.

Seni: “My wife had a friend. They were single together for years, worked at the same place for years, until the first election with Trump. They found out my wife voted for Trump. That close friend said, ‘We’re done, we’re no longer friends.’ And then my wife was diagnosed with cancer about four years ago and, luckily they were able to restore the friendship. My wife passed away this year, and they said, ‘What’s the use of [this]?’ But yeah… I think friendship will go negative if there’s no healthy conversation about it.”

Lance: “I’m Lance Walker. I’m 56 years old. I own a barbershop in Chambersburg, Pa. … my clientele [is] 40% Black, 40% white, and 20% other. I’m still trying to navigate in my own mind, because I’ll look at other people, and I’m like, ‘How come you can’t just start the conversation? Just say it.’ Well, that’s part of my job as a barber to be engaging with my clients… And so whenever I see other people that are doing it, it’s energizing for me to know that, ‘OK, I’m not doing this by myself. I’m not here alone.’ For me, it’s a little more uplifting to be around more like-minded people as far as having those conversations.”

Erica: “I’m Erica Manuel. I live in Roseville, California. I am 46 years old. I work with cities; and I work with counties; and I work with special districts. And a lot of the elected officials and the staff are just struggling to do their jobs… because of the very thing that we’re hearing, which is that people can’t get along; they can’t connect; they can’t even move from candidate to council member. They’re just struggling with that transition because of polarization. And it’s really hampering our ability to govern, our ability to do basic work in government. And people don’t wanna work in it. The trust is eroding in our institutions. And so, we need to make a change.”

Emily: “Someone can say, ‘Oh, I’m a Republican, but I support open immigration.’ Or, ‘I’m a Democrat, but I also am supportive of the Second Amendment.’ I think it’s constantly telling yourself, ‘Oh, people are not just 100% this, or 100% that. They might have nuanced perspectives based on their lived experience.’”

Lastly, we wanted to hear how using skills they’ve learned about how to have respectful, productive conversations could help them bridge America’s political divide moving forward.

Sharmin: “I am Sharmin Benu. I live in Kirkland, Washington, and I’m 53 years old. That’s where the biggest problem is: We hear the opinions through TV, through CNN, through FOX News, and that’s when we actually dehumanize the other side. If we are having dinner together, if we are having these kinds of conversations, I don’t think we can hate another person that much.”

 

Chris: “I’m Chris Hausner. I am 68 years old. I’m from Lancaster, Pa. I attended a debate about women’s equality and abortion rights. Abortion is a very volatile, and emotional, sensitive issue – and the format that Braver Angels employs to discuss this helps very much to be able to discuss it rationally without people being attacked for whatever position they’re taking.”

Sandi: “I’m Sandi Peterson. I live on Whidbey Island, Washington State, and I am 71. When you generalize someone, then you get to marginalize them. And when you marginalize someone, it’s easy to demonize them. And when you have the interpersonal connections where I don’t have to change your mind… then we become more human to each other.”

Eric: “The resources that Braver Angels has, the techniques they’ve put together are fantastic. They represent a suite of things, for example, I can share with my family and say, ‘This is the way we can have conversations and maintain that we cherish one another, even if we differ from one another.’”

Seni: “Many people, they don’t feel it’s possible, but after participating in conversations one-on-one with some of those who are totally different from me – Oh, man, it can be done. It’s easy for you to just listen, and at the end of the day, you treasure the friendship that you have with the person.”