The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Cynthia Coan
We all feel comfortable among like-minded people, but what if we encounter differing views? Such encounters might enable us to broaden our circle of influence but can also challenge us to reexamine our most cherished assumptions. Ultimately, we might have to admit that we don’t have all the answers.
I decided to take the risk. In February 2025, I attended my first in-person meeting of Braver Angels, a national organization dedicated to bridging the political divide. Founded shortly after the Nov. 2016 election, BA, active both locally and nationally, holds meetings bringing together people from across the political spectrum. Participants, discussing issues of concern, may not reach consensus, but they can gain a better understanding of other viewpoints and occasionally even find common ground.
Tom Ploski, Tucson Alliance Cochair, announced the meeting’s theme — the “what, why and how of our political beliefs.” Both reds and blues introduced ourselves and explained how we found out about Braver Angels. One individual had heard about BA on TV. Another with a QAnon nephew was trying to figure out how to talk to him. Tom, a red, voiced concerns about political polarization, something that Braver Angels has worked to combat.
A long-time recipient of Braver Angels mailings, I, a blue, echoed Tom’s concern about polarization. Some scholars even warned that we could be heading for a civil war. I hoped Braver Angels, by encouraging a peaceful exchange of views, could help to prevent that war.
Presently we reds and blues broke up into smaller groups to share what influences and life experiences had shaped our political philosophies. Beforehand, Tom cautioned us about the need for civility, warning, “You might hear things that will make you feel uncomfortable.”
My group consisted of myself, a retired schoolteacher and Republican-turned-Democrat from South Carolina, Tom, and his wife, Teri, who described herself as “red but not MAGA.”
I shared that, as a longtime registered Democrat, I had blue on both sides of the family. Relatives on my father’s side included an educator who had lost teaching jobs in Kansas for speaking out against the KKK (my grandfather) and a conscientious objector-turned-civil rights activist (my uncle). Pivotal events in my political worldview included a teacher’s strike in the fall of 1978, my senior year (in which I walked the picket line) and the January 2021 Capitol insurrection that ultimately spurred my visit to the Capitol in 2024.
A Polish-descended Catholic-turned-Presbyterian guided by a Judeo-Christian worldview, Tom, a lifelong conservative, admitted that the Republican Party’s current direction troubled him. He noted he had seen extremes on both the left and right but added, “The country was already divided prior to 2025. The things Trump has done since taking office have had the effect of deepening that division. My wife and I didn’t vote for Biden. We’ve always been Republicans. But given what’s going on with the party leadership, we’re considering becoming independents.”
The small groups disbanded, and we shared what we’d learned. Tom revealed, “Talking to Cindy, I realized that we have a lot in common.”
I, too, spoke up. I took comfort in knowing that not all Republicans believed the 2020 election had been stolen; despite losing, they were willing to accept the results. In short, they believed in small “d” democracy. Oh, did we need their help. Republicans and Democrats must work together to save our democracy, or I feared we could end up losing it.
In speaking to the larger group, I sensed that those present, like myself, cared about American democracy. To be sure, not all necessarily believed our democracy faced imminent peril. On the other hand, no one scoffed at my concerns.
“We’ve got public office holders representing extremes on the far right and the far left,” said Tom, “but most of the public is somewhere in the middle. We need office holders who will be more truly representative of the people.”
Another person commented, “Voting for someone else to solve all our problems doesn’t seem realistic anymore.”
What does the future hold for our nation and democracy? The discussion continues.
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